Second Generation
by Diana E. Gray
Summary: A smuggling ring is reborn after thirteen years and its new leaders are hell-bent on one goal: revenge. *Entry for the 2014 Court Records OC Contest*
1. Prologue

Late afternoon sun shone weakly through a barred window placed high in the wall of the detention center visitor's room. A woman sat in the visitor's chair, her face naturally finding the shadows. Another visitor, a man, was barely visible, lurking in the background as he usually seemed to. They both exuded an air of self-satisfied confidence, as though something important was in the air, so close they could taste it.

The door to the visitor's room creaked open and a uniformed guard escorted an elderly man to the chair. Despite the man's apparent frailty, he carried himself with the air of one who had been a hero in the past and knew it very well. He sat down, pulling his cloak around himself and glancing up at his visitor. "You've finally come."

The young woman in the visitor's chair tilted her head. "We came as soon as we heard."

"Yes, a regrettable decision. I will never see the skies of our native land again."

"They're doing it here?" Her face remained impassive.

"Yes. So it's time. Call your brother over. I can see him pacing in the back."

The woman turned and beckoned the man over. He stood behind the chair. The dim light on their faces highlighted the similarities between them - they both had the same dark brown hair and almond-shaped blue eyes. They both bowed their heads reverently.

"Quinn and Qadir Alba, I pass on leadership of the smuggling ring to you. May you use wisdom and power to maintain the goals of the original ring… and those of your father."

"Yes, Father," they said in unison, looking up.

The imprisoned Quercus Alba pulled an envelope out of the lining of his cloak and passed it through the hole in the bottom of the Plexiglass window. Quinn began flipping through the papers inside.

"This is everything you will need to get started," he told the two. "It has a list of all the connections you could possibly need, like the Amano Group and all the spies across the globe. The ring's been a bit… disorganized given recent events, but I'm sure you two will be able to bring it back to its former glory." He touched his medals almost absentmindedly, reflecting on days past.

Quinn, however, was more intrigued by a shorter list. "Father, what's this one? Edgeworth, Faraday, Gumshoe, Lang, von Karma…"

Alba smiled, a dangerous grin that only scratched the surface of his truly corrupted nature. "That, my children, is your first assignment. These people are the ones responsible for my downfall and are also your first targets."

Qadir's eyes lit up and he snatched the list from his sister. His eyes eagerly scanned the names, turning ideas over in his head, considering all of the possibilities. His training would finally be put to use.

Quinn took the list back irritably. "What would you like us to do, Father?" she asked.

He shook his head. "You're in charge now, daughter. It's up to you."

Quinn exchanged a glance with her brother, then they both looked up at their father, for what they knew might be the last time. "We won't let you down, Father. We promise."


	2. Chapter 1 - Ten Years

_A few months later…_

Miles Edgeworth awoke to the sound of his wife struggling with the sheets, whimpering softly. He gently put his arms around her and kissed her forehead, trying to soothe her. She'd been having these night terrors for the past few days, but never was able to recall them in the morning.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his knee. Apparently, one of her feet had managed to break free of the sheets. He exhaled sharply, adjusting to rub his knee. His movement caused Madeline's gray eyes to open and focus on him. Her hand found his on his knee. She breathed in quickly. "Did I-?"

Edgeworth nodded, then pulled her closer to him. "Sorry," she whispered, and he could tell just by her voice that she was frowning. She nestled into him, his chin resting on the top of her head.

"Do you remember anything?" he asked her. It had become part of their morning routine, this questioning.

She thought for a second, then shook her head. "I guess it doesn't matter, though, huh?" Madeline said quietly. He made a sound of agreement, but he could see that it upset her to be at a loss for something. "Hey," Madeline murmured. "Did you hear me?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Edgeworth replied, shifting, so he could see her face.

"I said 'Do you remember what today is?'" she said teasingly, wrapping her arms around his neck. He did know what today was, but he decided to tease his wife a little. Consider it revenge, for the knee thing.

"Today? It's Sunday, right? We don't have to go to the office…" He was absolutely reveling in her annoyed expression, her gray eyes snapping. "Did we have something special planned for today, Madeline?"

She rolled her eyes, throwing the covers off and sitting up. "Ten years of marriage hasn't changed your ability to be absolutely insufferable when you want to be, Miles," she noted dryly, running her fingers through her hair. He sat up as well, wrapping his arms around her.

"Happy anniversary," he whispered. She turned to face him, smiling.

"Ten years," Madeline said with a small sigh. "How on earth have you put up with me for that long?" His wife kissed him on the cheek, then got up and entered the bathroom. "You'd better get up, we promised we'd have our park day today," she called to him.

Edgeworth chuckled a little and stretched, rolling his shoulders. He was getting older, nearing his forties. The past ten years had been nothing but work and the process of beginning a family. He'd changed a great deal in that time, as well – he'd "mellowed" out, as his wife would say. His family had caused another side of him to come to light, a side that he didn't know that he possessed. The adventures he'd shared with Madeline and Kay seemed like a lifetime ago.

As these thoughts were crossing through his mind, his cell phone began to vibrate on his nightstand. A tinny version of the Jammin' Ninja theme emanated from it. Madeline stuck her head out of the bathroom, tightening the strap of her robe.

"What could Kay want this early in the morning?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

Edgeworth shrugged, answering. "Hello? Good morning, Kay. …Yes. Yes, I remember. …You're kidding. Really? Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up, then turned to his wife. "Kay needs to meet me."

"What about?"

"I don't have time to explain everything right now, but… it's about the smuggling ring," replied Edgeworth as he entered the closet to change clothes. "I promise I'll tell you everything at the park later, alright?"

"Yes." Madeline had learned long ago not to question these things.

Edgeworth emerged, fastening the cravat around his neck. His wife moved to straighten it, her quick fingers making easy work of the wrinkled material. He grabbed her hands gently. "I'll see you in a few hours," he said, kissing her quickly. Then he was gone, leaving his wife standing in the middle of their bedroom, utterly confused and completely worried.


	3. Interlude 1 - Partners in Crime

_A few hours earlier..._

A creaky door opened and closed. The young woman sitting in front of a large set of computer monitors didn't look away from the numbers flashing rapidly across the screen. The bright screens were the only source of light in the room, but it was apparent that it was very large and very empty.

"Welcome back, brother," the woman greeted him as the man flopped down on a small couch. They'd both gotten so used to the darkness of the room that they were able to find their way around it without visuals. "I trust there were no complications?"

The man snorted. "The little crow was kind enough to leave a back door open for me."

The woman swiveled to another screen with photos spread across it and tapped a few keys. She grinned as a particular picture filled the screen. "As I predicted, she has been keeping tabs on him."

"Yeah, Qui-"

The woman turned around, her eyes glowing with fury. Backlit by the computers, she looked terrifying. "No names!"

The man rolled his eyes. "You really think someone's gotten past your defenses and bugged this place?" he said under his breath. His sister was far too paranoid for that.

She turned away, reducing the size of the picture and sliding over to another screen. "I'm not willing to take any chances," she muttered, her fingers dancing over the keys. She scrolled down what appeared to be an email inbox. A new message was flashing. The woman clicked and read, her eyes moving faster than the speed of light.

"Bad news, brother," she said, her voice echoing around the room. The man sensed he was about to get another order and stood, moving behind his sister's chair. She closed the message before he could see it and turned to face him. "Oak has refused our offer."

The man was surprised. He thought Oak would still be loyal to the smuggling ring; he'd seen a picture of Oak and his father stashed inside the drawer where he'd put his delivery. But if his sister said it, then it must be true.

"Furthermore, he has sworn to turn us in." The woman turned away, pulling up another picture. "Although if this man is the estimation of this place's police force, I think we'll be fine. But there's always him…" Another picture filled the screen and both siblings glared in anger at it.

The man's mind was clouded with fury, not just because of the man on the screen, but because of the betrayal of Oak. How could he do this? After they'd worked so hard to get here… Would Oak really dare to betray their father's memory like this?

"What should I do?" he asked his sister.

The woman sighed, swiveling back around to face him. "I'm sorry to make you go back there again, but…"

"Consider it done." The man nodded and started to leave the room.

"I'm sorry, brother," the woman called, already back to her computers. She reread the email from her father's former partner again.

**The Second Generation will be a glorious new ring, one fit to bear the name of Alba… and Oak. I will meet you at the appointed place and time to discuss our new partnership.**

It was the last word that had tipped her off. Would Oak try to take over? She wouldn't allow that to happen, if it was the last thing she ever did. The irony of that statement was beautiful, she thought to herself. Too bad her brother wasn't there to appreciate it.

The woman opened the video feed from Oak's apartment – it had been simple to hack into the crow-girl's bugs and use them for her own purposes. She settled back into her chair, one eye on the scrolling numbers, one eye on the video feed. She was a very busy girl. Her father would be proud.

She sighed in contentment. All was right in the world.


	4. Chapter 2 - Meeting Kay

Edgeworth ascended the twelve flights of stairs to his office, marveling at how the daily trips up over the years had kept him in very good shape. He also noticed the silence – it had been a long time since he'd made the trek to his office alone. Madeline was usually by his side.

Not many prosecutors were working on Sunday, so Edgeworth proceeded undisturbed down the hallway. As he reached his office, he paused outside the door, a sudden sense of foreboding overwhelming him. Something behind this door was going to change his life forever.

His stomach sank as he realized the door was unlocked. He opened it slowly, gray eyes scanning the dark room, and exhaled in relief. A silhouette was sitting in his chair, booted feet propped up on his perfectly polished desk, tugging on a pair of gloves. As Edgeworth turned on the lights and took off his jacket, Kay jumped up, grinning.

"Finally, you're here!" She still looked the same as ever to Edgeworth, but he supposed she'd grown up a little over the years. But she hadn't lost the enthusiasm that kept her on the path to the truth.

As he was lost in his reminiscing, Kay almost tackled him as she gave him a hug. Edgeworth patted her on the back. He'd barely seen her since he and Madeline had chosen her as godmother to their second child.

Kay grinned up at him, the same fire in her eyes as ever. But something was off about her, something that the prosecutor couldn't quite place.

"How are the kids? And the wife?" the thief asked teasingly.

Edgeworth crossed to his desk, unconsciously fixing things Kay had moved. "They're well, thank you," he replied while sitting down. Kay perched on the edge of his desk and Edgeworth pressed his fingertips together, glancing over at her. "Kay, what is this all about?"

Kay sighed, her lower lip jutting out a bit. "You never were one for small talk, were you, Mr. Edgeworth?" She jumped off the edge of the desk, turning to face him. "Do you remember Alba's partner?"

"In the smuggling ring? Of course. Oak, wasn't it?" Edgeworth remembered pictures, but the man had never been tracked down, even for Alba's trial.

Kay pulled out her phone, sliding it across the desk toward him. "Well, I found him."

Edgeworth flipped through the pictures. They looked like stills from some kind of security camera, but it was clearly Burr Oak: working at a desk, cooking, sleeping. They looked like they'd been taken over a long period of time, judging by the differing weather and Oak's different outfits.

"I'm almost afraid to ask how you got all these," he muttered.

Kay shrugged. "It was surprisingly simple, actually. I just snuck into his house and bugged his fancy security system. He must be afraid of someone."

But Edgeworth had stopped listening. "Kay… what is this?"

Kay glanced at the screen and instantly paled. "S-see, this is why you shouldn't rush ahead," she said weakly, making to take the phone back, but Edgeworth held on, his eyes hardening into the now-familiar glare. Kay gulped – she'd never been on the receiving end of one of these before.

"Kay," the prosecutor repeated, his voice growing dangerous. "What is this?"

"I found him this morning," the thief said, her voice hollow as she was engulfed in a flashback of the final trip to the apartment.

_The lights were off. Kay nodded to herself and quickly shimmied up the fire escape as she'd done dozens of times before. She silently cracked the window open and slipped inside to a spot she knew was out of the view of the cameras out of habit. She had the layout memorized from rigorous training with Little Thief._

"_Now," she muttered, glancing around at the telltale red dots of security cameras, "what's going on with you, little guys?" Her carefully placed bugs had been sending her absolutely nothing for the past couple hours. The thief nimbly jumped atop a couch, examining the camera on the wall above it. Her bug was completely disabled._

"_Huh," Kay exhaled. Then she noticed that the camera was dead silent. "Is it not on?" The young woman thought about it for a second. "Might as well take this opportunity, right?"_

_Kay prowled through the house, looking for anything that might be useful in her investigation, when…_

"_O-oh my god!"_

_The thief almost tripped on the corpse of Burr Oak, sprawled on an Oriental rug in the study. Blood had dried on the carpet from where it had spilled from his mouth. She stumbled backward, hand covering her mouth to prevent a scream, mind reeling. How…? Who…? _

_Kay tried to keep her head, tried not to think, busied herself with moving around the body in an attempt to determine the cause of death. She also took pictures, knowing that this needed to be documented for her investigation, no matter how morbid it was. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't figure anything out. Except…_

_With trembling fingers, Kay plucked the thing that she'd been trying not to look at, but had magnetized her gaze since she'd entered the room. "No…" she breathed, backing out of the room and running full tilt for the window where she'd entered. She climbed down and once at the bottom, called the one person she trusted with this information._

_As Kay waited for Edgeworth to pick up the phone, she glanced down at the thing clutched in her hand, a hard knot forming in her stomach. Everything was about to change._

Kay glanced at the prosecutor, who was still intently examining the pictures. "No discernable cause of death," he murmured. "Wait… what's this?"

Kay winced. She thought she'd deleted all the photos with **that** in it. When she peeked back over at Edgeworth, she was sincerely worried that her phone would break from his intense glare. "M-Mr. Edgeworth," she stammered, wondering how best to calm him down.

"Kay, would you care to explain to me why there is a photograph of my family on this corpse," he paused and held up a hand to stop an objection, "and why on earth you would choose to hide this information from me?"

"Because I didn't want you to…" Kay trailed off, then mustered up her courage to begin again. "Mr. Edgeworth, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't want you to… freak out."

Edgeworth slammed the phone on the desk and Kay moaned, rushing forward to check on her baby.

"There was another reason," she told him, digging around in her pocket and pulling out the actual picture.

"You took that from the crime scene?" Edgeworth asked disapprovingly.

Kay ignored him and tapped the area beside a red figure scrawled on the corner of the photo. She was obviously reluctant to touch the shape itself. "Have you seen this before?"

Edgeworth examined the symbol. It looked like a pair of interlocking chain links – two intersecting circles with lines extending out of the top left and bottom right portions. "I don't think it's blood," he noted, answering Kay's unasked question. "But no, I've never seen it before." His fingers brushed over the happy faces in the photo and he felt his blood run cold. "I need to call her," he said, picking up his own phone.

There was complete silence in the office as the phone rang… and rang… and rang. Letting out a muffled curse, Edgeworth grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, Kay on his heels. Just as the prosecutor's hand was reaching for the doorknob, his phone suddenly sprang to life, vibrating furiously. The two both stared at it for a second, specifically the name on the screen. Kay was beginning to feel some of the sinking feeling that Edgeworth was experiencing. Why hadn't she just shown him the picture first thing?!

Edgeworth was trying to convince himself that the incoming call was about something unrelated, a case he was supposed to be investigating or something.

"Uh, Mr. Edgeworth," Kay shook him out of his thoughts gently. "Shouldn't you get that?"

Edgeworth shook his head, clearing his mind, and slowly lifted the phone to his ear. "What is it?" he asked, keeping his voice calm and curt. He was afraid if he didn't control it, it might crack. Cold fear was seeping into him. In three words, his worst fears were realized.

"Sir, it's terrible!"

Edgeworth was already out the door, sprinting for the stairs. "Gumshoe, what's going on?!" he yelled.

"Not sure yet, sir, but sounds like you know more than I do. I'm en route to Griffith Park, and I know that's where you and Madeline were…" He trailed off and Edgeworth heard the wailing of a siren. "O-okay, sir, don't panic… but an ambulance just passed me-"

Edgeworth was in the parking garage, running for his car, Kay by his side looking intensely worried. He slid in, starting the car. "Gumshoe, I'm on my way. I will be there in five minutes."

"B-but sir, aren't you halfway across-"

"I will be there in five minutes. Don't let them do anything until I get there."

"I'll do my best, sir."

Edgeworth hung up without another word. He threw the phone down, speeding out of the parking garage and into the traffic of Los Angeles. Kay, watching him in concern, just barely heard him say to himself, "Madeline, I'm coming."


	5. Interlude 2 - Dishonorable

The man made his way down the dark winding hallways of the building they were using as a base, his footsteps barely making a sound. The mission had been successful and he knew his sister would be pleased, but for the first time since meeting his father in the detention center, he was beginning to have doubts. He pushed them out of his mind as he knocked on the door of the main room where she was waiting. Quinn had the uncanny ability to know what he was thinking.

The woman quickly dispelled the video footage of Oak's murder that she'd been incessantly watching. Although she knew her brother didn't approve, she couldn't resist the little intoxicating flutter of something akin to excitement that coursed through her as her brother performed one of the most skilled versions of an assassination. Ironically, her brother had learned it from Oak himself.

"Excellent job, brother," she said.

He nodded, knowing that she couldn't see him very well. Killing Burr Oak was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, and if he were to be totally honest with himself, it didn't sit well with him. As he'd performed the deed, he'd been swamped with flashbacks of the long days and nights he'd spent sparring with him, and now he'd used one of Oak's own lessons against him. He tried to think contemptuously, as he knew his sister would, thinking how the old man should've seen it coming. But despite the efforts, he was left with only one thought in his head: his former master, his idol, his hero, lying limp on the floor. _Most dishonorable. Most dishonorable. _His mentor's voice echoed in his mind. And he was lost in memories again.

_"You're strong, Qadir." He was sitting on the floor at age nine, Oak in front of him. "And you're quick." He'd finally managed to disarm his teacher for the first time. "You'll make a good leader of the ring someday. Just don't let your sister-"_

_"Qadir!"_

_"Ah, Quinn, we were just talking about you."_

The man felt his sister's eyes on him and shook himself back to the present. He met her gaze in the reflection in one of her many computer screens.

"You know what Father would say," she told him calmly and the tapping of keys resumed.

"Another pawn destroyed," the man continued, his voice ringing a little hollow.

His sister watched him for a moment with something like concern in her eyes. He wasn't getting soft on her, was he?

"So when does Phase Two begin?"

No. Good.

She pulled another screen closer. Finally, the many long tedious months spent monitoring all forms of communication in and out of both his residence and his office were about to pay off. Her painstakingly perfected plan for revenge was about to begin, as soon as she gave the word. She reveled in the glorious moment as she glanced quickly at the footage from the cameras her brother had placed almost a month ago in preparation for this very day.

A sunlit park… and a woman with two children atop a grassy hill.

"Now."


	6. Chapter 3 - A Day in the Park

The bright summer sun warmed a carpet of green grass that covered a hill in Griffith Park. This particular hill was currently occupied by three-quarters of the Edgeworth family. Madeline Edgeworth stretched luxuriously, digging her fingers into the soft grass behind her. The hill was comfortably shaded at this time of the day by a large birch tree and a clump of bushes surrounding it.

She glanced ruefully at the pile of case files next to her and wished her husband was here. He would make this so much easier - and not just because he was her boss. She'd gotten her own badge a few years ago, but she'd chosen to remain a legal aide unless desperately needed. She preferred it that way, she enjoyed working so closely with Miles - _who will be disappointed if you don't at least skim those files_, she thought suddenly.

She leaned over to pluck one from the top of the pile, then paused in confusion. "Huh," she muttered, looking again at the files. "I could've sworn there were ten…" She counted one more time. Nope, still nine. The confused legal aide stood and looked down the hill, thinking perhaps it had blown down it. Then she heard pages rustling on the other side of the nearby birch tree. "Hmm?" She walked around the tree, something inside her prepared for the sight that met her eyes.

"Benjamin Gregory Edgeworth!" she scolded, snatching the file away from her nine-year-old son. "What have I told you about reading my files?"

The young boy stood, brushing himself off. "Sorry," he replied, not sounding very penitent as he followed his mother back to the blanket. "I just got bored. I finished my books."

Madeline looked at her son skeptically as he set down the three heavy law books he'd brought, sitting down on the blanket with a decidedly bored expression. She knew Ben was incredibly smart, but he wasn't quite up to par socially, just like his father. She couldn't quite pinpoint the specific moment when her son had grown up so fast.

Loud shouts and laughs distracted the worried mother for the time being and she glanced over to see a few boys she vaguely recognized from Ben's class. They were playing with a soccer ball and seemed to be having a good time. Madeline gently drew Ben's attention to them. "Why don't you go join them? They look like they could use another player."

Ben looked over, then looked away, disinterested. "No thanks. You know I don't really play sports." He continued under his breath. "And I don't really like those kids anyway."

Madeline sighed wearily. This was a discussion she'd had with Ben many times. "Ben, you can't go on like this. You can't keep going to the library during recess." She suppressed his objection with a hand. "Ben, you need friends your own age."

Ben was quick to retort. "Father didn't have friends his age when he was my age!"

"Your father had Uncle Larry and Uncle Phoenix until his father died. Besides, his circumstances were quite different from yours."

Ben shifted positions. "Well, he had Aunt Franziska and I have Ivey!"

Madeline looked up. "Speaking of, where is your sister?"

"Mom, Mom, look at me!" Ivey Edgeworth was poised on the edge of the hill, blonde curls bouncing as she hopped up and down. Named after Madeline's sister who had been cruelly murdered when Madeline was a sophomore, Ivey brought a breath of fresh air that the woman had once thought only her sister could bring. Once Ivey ensured that she had her mother's full attention, she cartwheeled all the way down the hill, landing in a giggling heap at the bottom. Madeline laughed at her spirited daughter and even serious Ben cracked a smile.

"Will you-?"

"On it." Ben raced down the hill to make sure his sister was okay. He extended a hand to help her up, saying something that Madeline couldn't hear. Ben was extremely protective of his younger sister, and the two generally got along very well. Madeline silently wondered if Ivey would calm down when she was seven or eight as Ben had. She half-hoped the young girl wouldn't - having three geniuses in the house would be far too difficult to manage.

She glanced down again. Ivey was now skipping around Ben in a circle, clearly trying to get him to do something.

_Trying to cajole him into submission_, the mother thought in amusement. _Just like my sister used to do._ Her daughter was the spitting image of her older sister, both physically and mentally – Ivey had a flair for the dramatic and a talent for all things music. It stunned her sometimes how much her children resembled the Ivy and Madeline of the days of old, only the ages were reversed.

Madeline sighed, her gaze drawn back to the pile of case files being her. She briefly considered calling her husband, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew how important the smuggling ring case was to him.

_Might as well get started_, she thought morosely, picking up the one Ben had been reading. After one last look at her children, she began to read, still managing to keep a watchful eye on them in the way that only a mother can.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes behind her. Madeline turned with a smile, expecting Miles Edgeworth, but there was no one there. Had she continued looking instead of resuming her reading, she would have seen something even more frightening than the terrible facts on the page - a highly polished metal tube being leveled at her neck.

The woman felt a prick and reached up unconsciously, her eyes still on the page. _Did I just get stung by a bee or some…_ Madeline's mind didn't have time to process the object in her hand before her vision started to blur. She could feel the drugs coursing through her system and she struggled to stay conscious, to tell Ben and Ivey to run. But she couldn't make her lips move. As everything faded to black and she crumpled onto the blanket, Madeline thought she heard her son call her name. Then nothing.


	7. Chapter 4 - Investigation Start

The red sports car squealed to a stop in the parking lot between the police cars and ambulances surrounding Griffith Park. Edgeworth and Kay jumped out of the car, Gumshoe already rushing up to meet them. "Mr. Edgeworth, sir, I-"

But Edgeworth was already running for the ambulance haphazardly parked on the grass. Madeline was beginning to come to, lying on a gurney being loaded into the ambulance. Paramedics were firing questions at her, but she was too disoriented to answer. Finally her eyes found him as he fought his way to her side. "Miles," she breathed, reaching for his hand. He grabbed it in both of his own.

"Madeline, you're going to be fine, don't worry," Edgeworth reassured her, partially for her benefit but mostly for his own. However, her eyes were elsewhere already, darting around dazedly.

"Miles, did you… did you get Ben and Ivey? Tell them not to worry, that I'll be…" Her expression changed with his, mirroring his look of growing horror. "…I'll be… oh god, no! Miles, no!" Madeline began to struggle against the bonds that had been affixed to her for the ride to the hospital, sobbing hysterically.

Edgeworth held her hands tightly, still in shock. _No… no… this couldn't be happening!_ He was jolted out of his thoughts by Madeline's hands slackening, her grip loosening. He looked up to see a paramedic with a syringe backing away from Madeline's exposed shoulder. "No!" Her eyelids fluttered once, then she fell unconscious once more.

Edgeworth stormed over to the paramedic, grabbing him by the collar. The man was young, with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, and he was completely unfazed in the face of the furious prosecutor. "How dare you?!" Edgeworth was so angry, the rest of the angry speech he'd planned in those couple of seconds wouldn't come out.

The young man blinked. "Just trying to help. Maybe you'll thank me later."

"What?" Edgeworth was thoroughly confused, but just as he was about to add something to his previous statement, nimble fingers detached his hands from the paramedic's collar.

"I think the ambulance is getting ready to leave," Kay said, pushing him towards the vehicle. The paramedic gave one last cool, almost appraising, look at the prosecutor, then ran off, jumping on the back of the moving ambulance with ease. "Now come on, Mr. Edgeworth, we have investigating to do!"

Kay began to sprint up the hill. Edgeworth followed more slowly. He'd been with Kay long enough to know when she was faking enthusiasm for his sake. When the pair drew closer to the top of the hill, familiar voices came into earshot.

"Ouch!"

"Did you make this mess, scruffy?"

"No sir! It was like this when I got here!"

"What about you?"

"No. My men wouldn't dare trample a crime scene and risk the anger of the wolf."

"Maybe it was just the wind, sir – ouch!"

"You fool! It isn't even windy!"

A gust of wind ruffled the grass as Edgeworth reached the top of the hill. Quite a sight was waiting for him – Franziska von Karma whipping the living daylights out of Detective Gumshoe, with Shi-Long Lang casually looking on. The latter turned toward the approaching pair.

"Finally," the agent barked, "he's here. Now can we investigate?" He glared at Gumshoe and Edgeworth was surprisingly touched – the detective had actually managed to hold these two off until he got there. Then his heart sank as he looked at the scene: pages of case files scattered all over a blanket, a picnic basket ready and waiting for his arrival. But he was too late.

Edgeworth looked up from the chaos to find the other four looking at him in various states of concern. "Well, let's get started," he said bluntly, glancing toward the agent. "Agent Lang, are your men joining us?"

Lang looked up at the sky, attempting to mask his brief hesitation. "The sun is high, Mr. Prosecutor. My men have all left for other duties." Edgeworth's eyes narrowed, but Lang's expression kept him from protesting. Suddenly Lang's phone buzzed and as he glanced at the screen, his expression changed. His lips curved into a snarl and his eyes glinted. "Excuse me," Lang said, moving down the hill to a small copse of trees to take the call.

Edgeworth glanced at Franziska, who shrugged and continued looking through the files with Kay and Gumshoe. He made a quick decision, heading down the hill and into the trees after Lang. After just a few steps into the clump of trees, he stopped behind a large pine. Lang had to be just on the other side, judging by the volume of his voice.

"With all due respect, Director, this incident does involve the smuggling ring… Well, it's just a hunch… I know what I'm doing… Don't involve her in this. Her brother's wife was just attacked and her niece and nephew are missing… Mr. Director, sir, Miles Edgeworth was primarily responsible for bringing down the smuggling ring. He hasn't handled anything as high-profile since then. And now there's been a personal attack on his family and you're telling me this doesn't have anything to do with the smuggling ring?! … I don't care if you heard it from the President of this country! … no backup? Fine. I can work alone… You can investigate me all you want, leave Franziska out of it. She's here because of me… yes sir. You'll see."

There was a sharp click (the phone closing, Edgeworth presumed), then Lang spoke again. "I know you're there, Mr. Prosecutor."

Edgeworth stepped out, a little ashamed that he'd been caught. "Your badges are on the line for us?" he asked and Agent Lang smirked.

"Wolves are loyal. We remember our debts," he stated. "Besides, I know that this is connected to the smuggling ring. Whoever this bastard is who attacked Madeline and kidnapped the pups… he's trying to get to you."

Edgeworth was momentarily lost for words. "Lang, I-"

The agent cut him off, gesturing toward the top of the hill. "Come on, Mr. Prosecutor. We have investigating to do."

"Finally, you're back!" Kay yelled upon seeing the two men climbing back up the hill. "We found something important!"

"What is it?!" Edgeworth asked frantically, climbing faster.

Kay held an object up between gloved fingers. The men leaned in to examine it as they reached the top. "A…dart?" Lang mused. "That would make sense, I suppose."

"It clearly injected some sort of drug into her," Franziska commented, taking it and examining it closer. "Very well-made, too. And unique. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Why wouldn't he take this with him, though?" Edgeworth asked. "He's been very careful so far."

"It was under here, sir," Gumshoe chimed in, lifting a corner of the blanket. "Madeline must have pushed it under before she was knocked out." The detective sat back on his heels, shaking his head. "Always thinking. That's Mrs. Edgeworth for ya."

"Hey, check this out!" Kay's voice rang out. Her head popped out from behind the large birch tree, leaving everyone wondering how she'd gotten there. "There's a branch here that would be perfect for someone to shoot a dart from." She climbed the tree easily and gazed around. "Yeah, this provides a pretty good view of everything. I can even see the bottom of the hill from here."

"There were signs that Ben and Ivey were playing at the bottom of the hill. It would have been a good spot to watch their ascent," Franziska noted.

"And he was waiting here for them when they got to the top," Lang concluded grimly.

"But where did he take them? That's the real question," Kay murmured, swinging her legs off the branch, still deep in thought. Her eyes wandered over to the trunk, zeroing in on something. "Hang on, there's something else here!"

"What is it, Kay?" Edgeworth asked, looking up at her.

"Some kind of design. Maybe the guy carved it while he was waiting."

"You have no proof of that," Franziska told her, frowning. "But it's possible, I imagine. What does it look like? I suppose I can take Scruffy and go look into it. I was going to take the dart back to the precinct and get it examined by forensics anyway."

"It looks like two chain links. I'll send you a picture," Kay replied, snapping a picture on her phone. She paused, running a gloved finger over it. "I feel like I've seen it before…" she murmured quietly, so no one else could hear. It was very important, but with all the excitement, everything but the situation at hand had been driven out of her mind.

Franziska checked her phone, acknowledged receipt of the photo, and called to Gumshoe. The two walked down the hill – or more accurately, Franziska walked. Gumshoe cowered.

Kay jumped down from the branch, brushing herself off. "I would try to reproduce the scene, Mr. Edgeworth, but it would just prove what we've already determined. Without more information, we have no way of knowing where Ben and Ivey could have disappeared to." Seeing the look on his face, she tried to cheer him up. "But don't worry, Mr. Edgeworth! I'm not giving up! I'm gonna scour this whole hill from top to bottom! And I'm sure Agent Lang will help me too, right?" The other man nodded.

"I'm staying here," Edgeworth told her, but before he could say anything more, she stopped him.

"No, you're going to the hospital. You have to be there when Madeline wakes up." When he began to protest again, saying something about how he could be much more useful here, Kay shook her head. "I promise I'll call you if we find anything, alright? Now go."

Edgeworth frowned, knowing this was one battle he wasn't going to win. But he relented, knowing that he would have to lose some battles in order to win the war. And as he walked down the hill, his steps quickened slightly. If she was awake, his wife would be frantic by now.

After obtaining Madeline's room number from the flustered nurse, Edgeworth hurried down the hallway. As he'd driven to the hospital, his head had cleared and his intense concern for his wife had grown exponentially. Franziska had called to inform him that forensics was unable to identify the drug traces on the dart, so there was no way to know what effect it would have on Madeline. The strange symbol on the tree trunk also remained unidentified, but that was the least of his worries right now.

As he approached her room, he couldn't help but smile wearily: he could already hear her. The door was open. He leaned on the doorframe, unnoticed for the moment, watching the scene in front of him unfold.

"Now, Mrs. Edgeworth," the nurse gently scolded, trying to push Madeline back down, but the dark-haired woman struggled back up to a sitting position.

"You don't understand, I need to go!"

"Mrs. Edgeworth, we're still not sure what effect those drugs have had on you-"

"I'm fine!" Madeline protested, frowning.

"You don't look fine," Edgeworth cut in, stepping into the room. His worry suddenly reappeared as he looked at her face. She was still pale and drawn. However, her weakness was masked by a worried smile as her eyes met his.

"Miles, thank god," she said. "Can you please tell this nurse that I'm alright?"

Edgeworth nodded dismissively at the nurse, who left the room rather reluctantly, looking anxiously back at her charge. As soon as she was safely out of sight, Madeline pushed herself back up. He took a seat by her bed and she reached for his hand. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly. She shrugged.

"I'm fine. But that's not important now." Her hands clasped his tightly as she leaned forward and looked into his eyes. "Have you found them yet?"

His brief hesitation was the only answer she needed. With a small tortured moan, she collapsed back, tears spilling onto her cheeks. He moved closer, wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her hair, trying to comfort her. "Madeline, we will find them. I swear to you, we will. And I will find who did this to you and I will-"

Suddenly, Edgeworth's phone rang. It was out of his pocket and to his ear faster than it seemed humanly possible. "Hello?"

"Mr. Edgeworth! How's Madeline?" Kay asked.

"She's fine, don't worry," Edgeworth assured her. "Did you find anything?"

There was a discouraged sigh. "Not yet. Agent Lang and I have turned this place upside down, but there's nothing else here."

"Then what is your reason for calling?" Edgeworth asked, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice.

"I thought of something else," Kay said. "If this really does have to do with the smuggling ring, we should investigate Oak's apartment. There might be some clues there."

"Won't security be tight though? Someone's bound to realize he's dead by now. The police will be all over the place, and we can't exactly just ask to investigate a crime scene we have no involvement in. I haven't been assigned to the case."

"See, that's the thing. I don't think anyone knows he's dead. He lives – er, lived, pretty close to the park, and no police cars have headed that way yet. The ones that left turned toward the precinct."

"Well, I suppose it's worth looking into," Edgeworth agreed. "But I'm not taking any of your thief ways in."

"Well, that'll be difficult," Kay replied. "Oak's apartment building is pretty exclusive. There's a person in the lobby to stop you if they don't recognize you."

"Personal experience?"

"Maybe. But I'll think of something. Meet me there in an hour."

"Alright."

As he hung up, Madeline looked up. Her focus had been on their entwined hands. He could tell that she was trying to hold back tears as she asked desperately, "Was that Kay? What did she say?"

"She has a lead, but nothing yet," Edgeworth told her, starting to stand. Madeline's grip on his hands tightened.

"Miles, please take me out of here," she begged. "I'm fine, really!"

"I don't know that for sure, Madeline, and I'm not willing to take any chances."

"Please, Miles." His wife's voice was desperate. "I can't just sit in here, knowing that our children-"

"And I can't take you with me knowing that the drugs might still be in your system and not knowing their effects," Edgeworth responded. "I promise I'll call you the second I hear anything. Alright?"

For a second, he thought she was going to protest again, but she sighed, her eyes defeated. "Okay," she replied. Edgeworth leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll be back to get you tonight." He began to leave, but turned back as he reached the door. "And Madeline? …Please behave."

Madeline watched him leave with a fair amount of jealousy, but mostly worry. She settled back down into the cold hospital bed, consumed with fear for her missing children.


	8. Interlude 3 - For Father

The man threw his bag of tricks near the door and stepped inside the dark room where his sister lurked. She made no sound when he entered, just a simple cock of the head, waiting for confirmation.

"Phase 2 complete."

The woman's eyes didn't stray from the screen with recorded footage from the park. She was closely examining it to make sure no errors had been made - at least, no evident ones. Her brother could be a little impetuous at times, unwilling to commit to a plan. Now that this was finally happening, she had to make sure he was careful.

On the screens, police cars were beginning to arrive at the hill. One large scruffy-looking man in a trench coat looked particularly frantic. The woman ran a quick search on him on another screen and nodded in recognition. Of course, he would be there.

"Where are they?"

"Where we agreed."

"And are they-?"

"Yes."

The woman smiled. "Good." She gave him a swift nod, then glanced back to the screen, smiling contentedly, enjoying the chaos. Then she paused, looking back at the man. "You didn't kill her yet, right?"

"No. I made sure of that."

The woman smiled again, her grin malicious. "Good. I have more in store for the Edgeworth family. The idea of their precious children-" She stopped, glancing at her brother. No. She wouldn't even say it aloud. It was too delicious.

The man was a bit irritated. His sister was not telling him anything about this plan that they were supposedly concocting together. He supposed it fit the traditional roles, though. She was the brains, he was just the brawn.

His sister seemed to notice his discontent, for she turned and put a hand on his arm. "Patience. All will be revealed in time." When this didn't seem to affect him, she tried again. "Remember why we're doing this, brother," she whispered. "For Father… and for us."

The man nodded as she swiveled back to the computers, a jerk of her head toward the door indicating that the conversation was over. He turned on his heel and left the room abruptly. They both had work to do. _For Father… and for us._


	9. Chapter 5 - A Connection

Edgeworth and Kay met up outside Burr Oak's building – an exclusive high rise apartment complex only a few blocks away from the park. There were no police cars around, but Edgeworth still felt a fair bit of trepidation, heightened further by the sparkle in Kay's eye.

"So what are you planning?" he asked the thief. She smiled mischievously.

"Well, since you won't use my methods, there's only one way left – the front door."

"But-"

"Don't worry, Mr. Edgeworth. I have a plan."

Ten minutes later, Kay and a recently-arrived Detective Gumshoe examined their handiwork. Miles Edgeworth was utterly unrecognizable, draped in Gumshoe's humungous trench coat and face hidden under a fedora that Kay had sourced from who knows where. "Do you think it'll pass, Gummy?" Kay asked appraisingly.

"Only one way to find out," Gumshoe replied grimly, propelling a protesting Edgeworth into the building. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Kay began speaking loudly enough for the guard seated behind the desk to hear.

"Thank you so much for allowing us into your apartment, Mr. Oak," she simpered. "As an aspiring interior designer, I'm absolutely honored to see your home. And of course, I just _had _to bring my photographer with me, I hope you don't mind too much-" She suddenly cocked her head toward Edgeworth. "What's that?"

Edgeworth was completely lost at this point. "I didn't-"

Kay plowed ahead, ignoring him. "You locked your key in your apartment? How silly of you! I'll just go and get one from the front desk for you. It's the least I can do." She pranced over to the man at the desk, leaving Gumshoe and Edgeworth awkwardly standing near the door as Kay talked animatedly for a few minutes. Edgeworth decided that the best thing to do here would be to stay silent and formulate some kind of plan. Gumshoe apparently had the same thought, although Edgeworth doubted he was thinking of a feasible plan.

Eventually, Kay returned, a key card in her gloved fingers. "Let's go," she hissed, shooing them toward the stairs. The door was a brief problem until the trio realized that inserting the key card would open it. As they began to climb, Kay let out a heavy sigh. "That was difficult. The guard was suspicious because he hadn't seen you – er, I mean, Mr. Oak come down all day. It took all of my feminine wiles to persuade him that he must have simply missed him." The two men were silent, so Kay continued talking. "Well, at least this means that no one's been to the apartment. So the scene is perfect for our investigation."

The trio remained quiet for the rest of the climb up to the tenth floor. Upon arrival, they stared at the door to Oak's apartment, the penthouse suite. Edgeworth couldn't help but feel slightly afraid of what they'd find inside. "Ready?" Kay asked, her voice shaking just a little. Edgeworth could tell that despite her bravado, she didn't feel entirely comfortable reentering the apartment.

Kay inserted the key card and after a little electronic beep, the door unlocked. Gumshoe hesitantly pushed it open. All three recoiled – the air inside was stagnant and hot, carrying the scent of death.

"S-so, how should we do this, Mr. Edgeworth?" Gumshoe asked. Edgeworth realized that they were both looking to him for instructions. He thought quickly as he shrugged off the overcoat, giving it back to the detective, and handed the hat to Kay.

"Let's split up. Make sure not to leave fingerprints or any sign that we were here. We don't want to have to answer questions later." The group split up in the darkened apartment. Edgeworth found himself in the study, looking at the corpse of Burr Oak. As Kay had said, there was no apparent cause of death, but he concluded that the man had been dead for at least three or four hours. Rigor mortis was just beginning to set in and due to the warm weather, the body was starting to develop an unpleasant odor. The prosecutor bent down, examining the body closer. One particular spot on Oak's neck caught his eye.

"Nothing in the kitchen, sir," Gumshoe reported as he entered. Kay trailed behind him, shaking her head.

"Nothing important in the bedroom, either," she sighed. "If there's anything to connect Oak with all this, it has to be in here."

"I think I've found our connection," Edgeworth replied, gesturing to the body. "Look at his neck right here. There's a tiny puncture wound, almost imperceptible. There's a possibility that it could have been made by some kind of syringe or-"

"Or a dart," Kay breathed, eyes widening. "So the same person that attacked Madeline killed Burr Oak?"

"It's only a theory for now, but a logical one," Edgeworth said, standing.

"If we do assume this is the same guy, it does give us something else to consider, sir," Gumshoe piped up suddenly. "He's clearly shown that he can kill with his darts. So he didn't intend to kill Madeline, only to incapacitate her."

"Interesting," Edgeworth said, nodding, as he crossed to the desk and used a handkerchief to begin searching the drawers. "Kay, have you tried to get into his computer?"

"Psh, have I tried? Move over." With practiced ease, Kay quickly bypassed security and was zooming around the files. "Only one new thing since last time I looked," she muttered, double-clicking on a document. A small window with only a few lines of text opened over the blank desktop. "What is this?"

**Meet Eagle and Swan at the usual place today to discuss plans for the new ring. Bring weapon. I trust Eagle, but Swan is a tricky one.**

"What does it mean, pal?" Gumshoe asked, poking his head over her shoulder.

"It means he had plans to meet someone on the day he was killed – today," Kay replied, still typing furiously. "Maybe there's some kind of clue on his email as to who these mysterious birds are… They're obviously codenames… but for who…?"

As she clicked the Google Chrome icon on the bottom, however, the entire screen suddenly went black. Kay lifted her hands in bewilderment as a symbol began painting itself across the screen in blood red – two interlocking circles, both intersected by lines, as if implying that the circles continued in a chain farther than the screen could show.

"The same as the tree," she murmured, then a flash of insight hit her and she cursed herself for not realizing it before. "And the picture from Oak's body."

"Someone obviously doesn't want us to see Oak's correspondence," Edgeworth noted. "And we can safely assume that they are a part, or maybe even the leader of, the new smuggling ring."

"What do we do now? Our only way of getting a lead is useless," Gumshoe asked, gesturing to the computer anxiously.

Edgeworth closed his eyes. "I don't think there are any more clues here. This killer was very careful – they took everything that could link them to the crime. The only clue we have is this symbol. We must figure out where it came from and what it means. That will lead us to our next step."

"I agree, but it's getting late," Kay told him. "You'd better go pick up Madeline before she tries to bust out of the hospital on her own." She studied his features as she spoke. She'd never seen him look so exhausted. "Then go home and get some rest, both of you. It's been a long day."

"What will you do?" Edgeworth asked. Rest did sound nice, if not productive at all.

"Gummy and I will go to the precinct to fill in Franziska and Lang on all this and work on researching that symbol. It's the key to this whole thing, I just know it." She picked up the computer with gloved hands. "I'm going to take this, too. Maybe I can get some contacts to work on it for me, see if there's anything distinctive in the hacking pattern."

"Thank you, Kay. And you as well, Detective." Edgeworth's body suddenly felt heavy. All he wanted to do was sleep and hope that this nightmare would fade into just that – a nightmare.

"I'll call you if there's any news," Kay said gently, pushing him toward the door before grabbing Gumshoe and following behind. "It's going to be okay, I promise."

Edgeworth turned back to look at the pair as he opened the door. "I'm not allowing myself to think that it won't be," he replied.


	10. Chapter 6 - New Developments

The apartment was dark when Edgeworth entered after a long day at the office. He threw his keys into the bowl on the table, mentally reminding himself to get gas in the morning – the seemingly endless drives between the Prosecutor's Office and the precinct were starting to really affect his car.

It had been three days since the attack on Madeline and the disappearance of Ben and Ivey. The situation had been taking its toll on everyone – Edgeworth couldn't remember the last time that he'd had such large circles under his eyes. However, he knew that it was hitting his wife especially hard. In all the years that he'd known her, he'd never seen her like this before. For the first two days, Madeline had thrown herself into the investigation, subjecting herself to long hours of interrogation, trying to remember anything that she'd forgotten about that afternoon. But on the evening of the second day, when they arrived back at the apartment, she fell apart. The feelings of anxiety and guilt that she'd been suppressing began to appear. She was in such a fragile state that Edgeworth had forced her to stay home and rest today (in all honesty, he was quite surprised that she hadn't followed him to the office). He wasn't looking forward to seeing his wife's face when he was obligated to tell her that they still had no leads.

Edgeworth walked through the darkened rooms, looking for Madeline. There were signs that she'd been busy: furniture dusted, dishes washed and put away, files organized, all tasks that wouldn't require much thought. His wife was obviously looking for something to take her mind off things.

A stifled sob alerted Edgeworth to her whereabouts. He quietly opened the door to Ben's room and stepped inside. Madeline was sitting on her son's bed, her stare blank, tears pouring down her cheeks. Without a word, Edgeworth sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's not your fault," he murmured gently, answering her unspoken question. Madeline quickly wiped her tears away, nodding. He knew she hated to be caught like this. Her eyes met his and, reading his expression, her head dropped. No news today.

"What do they want with them?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "Shouldn't we have already gotten some kind of ransom note?" It was a silly question. They both knew what this was really about, although no one outside of Kay, Gumshoe, Franziska, and Lang seemed to believe it – the smuggling ring.

They sat for a few more minutes, each lost in their own thoughts, before Edgeworth finally stood, offering Madeline a hand. "We should get to bed," he told her. She looked skeptically at the time on his watch – only 9:30. "I know you haven't been sleeping," he scolded quietly. He'd noticed that her night terrors were getting worse, understandably. She'd been through a great deal in the past few days. "I'm making sure you get your rest tonight." As they moved toward the master bedroom, he continued. "Will you be feeling well enough to return to the investigation tomorrow? I think we need you there. Everyone was worried about you today."

"If you'll have me," Madeline replied, a renewed look of determination on her face, which was interrupted by a yawn.

"If you get enough sleep," Edgeworth bargained. "You'll be no good to anyone in this state."

They both prepared for bed silently, not speaking again until they were lying facing each other. Edgeworth spoke first, trying to calm the troubled look in Madeline's gray eyes. "We'll find them, I promise."

She moved closer to him, sighing. "And when we find the one who did this, I'm going to kick some serious ass."

"Now there's the Madeline I know," Edgeworth replied, kissing her forehead. He stroked her damp hair until he was absolutely sure that she was asleep, then he settled down himself. He was just drifting off when he heard an unusual sound next to him. He slowly opened his eyes to see a gun being leveled at his head.

"Get up," the shadowy figure behind the gun demanded. Edgeworth complied, trying to see a way out of the situation. But his mind was dangerously blank. He heard shifting on the bed behind him.

"Miles? Miles, what's going-" Madeline's question was cut off as the attacker pointed the gun at her.

"You too, Mrs. Edgeworth. Get up. We're going on a little trip." Madeline shakily stood, crossing around the bed to stand next to her husband. The man looked them over appraisingly, taking in their disheveled pajamas. "I suppose you'd better change clothes. One at a time."

Madeline went first, changing into jeans and a simple sweater, and Edgeworth changed into his signature suit. As he emerged from the closet, Madeline's fingers instinctively reached out to smooth the cravat. Her gray eyes were burning with anger and a touch of fear.

"Let's go. She's waiting." The man nudged them forward, and that was when Madeline sprang into action. Letting out a strangled cry, she tried to kick the gun out of their attacker's hand. He seemed to be expecting it, however; he raised the gun just above her kick, then retaliated instantly by striking the side of her head with the butt of the weapon. Edgeworth caught her as she stumbled from the blow and stood in front of her, shielding her as the man drew close enough for him to barely make out a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't recommend that, Mrs. Edgeworth," the gunman said matter-of-factly, flipping the weapon in his hand casually. "Not if you want to see your children again." Madeline's eyes widened with horror as she rubbed the red mark on her cheek.

"Let's go, then," Edgeworth said coldly. "Didn't you say someone was waiting for us?"

The man chuckled and Edgeworth suddenly got the nagging sense that he knew this man, that he'd met him somewhere before. But no matter how hard he tried to see the man's face, it was always in the shadows. He seemed to be well trained in jobs like this.

And with that, Miles and Madeline Edgeworth were whisked off into the night.


	11. Interlude 4 - Revelation

The young woman in the computer room could not keep still. Upon seeing her brother return with the targets on the security footage, she'd been unable to remain seated, impatiently waiting for her brother to come and speak with her. It was almost too difficult to believe, that her plan was actually coming to fruition.

After what seemed like ages, there was a knock on her door. The woman quickly sat down, smoothed her skirt, dispelled the security footage, and calmly bid her brother enter. It wouldn't do for him to see her so excited. She intuitively knew that her brother worried about her, although she wasn't quite sure why.

Qadir, who had entered without waiting for a confirmation, surreptitiously checked his sister's screens. He was a little relieved to see that it was only smuggling ring business – numbers, figures, things he didn't understand. He was a little concerned with his sister's fascination with murder and pain. Although it would seem that his training required it, he had never been totally comfortable with any harm that he caused innocents. The prosecutor's wife, for example – she hadn't done anything wrong. Striking her hadn't been difficult, per se, it was almost a reflex. He knew that it was necessary for the sake of the plan, for revenge. For Father. That was his mantra, his driving force. _For Father. _

Quinn had always been closer to Father than he was, because of her training. While his training with Oak had been solely physical, his sister learned from Quercus Alba the ins and outs of running a successful smuggling ring. She'd also learned the unique brand of psychological torture that Father had developed, with help from Quinn herself, even though she'd been very young. She was being groomed to become the next true leader of the smuggling ring; he was just her bodyguard. He sometimes wondered if his sister even remembered all that had happened when they were young, if thoughts of what could have been consumed her like they consumed him, what would have happened if their paths had not crossed that day…

Qadir was jolted out of his thoughts by a loud impatient throat clearing. He looked up to see his sister glaring at him.

"Did you even hear me, brother? Now is not the time to lose focus!" she snapped angrily.

"Sorry," he muttered, although he wasn't really. She gave a frustrated sigh, her icy blue eyes not warming one bit. It was during times like these when he realized how much the training that they'd received as children affected them today: he'd become strong but submissive, she's become a genius, but a major control freak.

"Will you please listen?!" His sister swiveled her chair back to her screens, frowning. Her brother was really trying her patience. She couldn't have him messing things up at this delicate stage. "I asked you a question. Did everything proceed as planned?"

Qadir rolled his eyes, hoping that she couldn't see him. _As if you don't have cameras everywhere_, he thought resentfully. Quinn caught his eye in the reflection of one of her screens, her eyebrow dangerously high. She was so much of a perfectionist that she had to have verbal confirmation of every infinitesimal part of the plan, which Qadir still didn't know.

"Yes. They're in their chamber."

"And the precious children?" his sister asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Scared, but fine."

"Perfect," she replied, her smirk evident in her tone. "We start tomorrow."

A jerk of her head indicated that he was dismissed. But Qadir didn't move. Quinn looked up, seeing him still standing there in the reflection.

"Did you need something, brother?"

Qadir frowned. "Yes. I'm wondering exactly when you're going to share this brilliant plan of yours."

Quinn sighed. "Brother, I told you all you need to know at present. You'll learn the next phase tomorrow morning."

"No. What are we doing to those kids?"

Quinn laughed, swiveling to face him. "Oh brother, you honestly don't know? You haven't figured it out? You really are as slow as you look." She gave him a few more seconds, then rolled her eyes. "Alright. But brother, this will be the only time I share my plans. You need to remember your place." She held up a hand to stop his complaint, then continued speaking.

"I have devised a very special plan for the Edgeworth children. At first, they were only going to be tools for revenge on Miles Edgeworth, but as a result of my observation, I've decided that it's never too late to start planning for the future. Ivey Edgeworth seems fairly strong, like her mother. I'm sure you'll be able to work with her. And Benjamin seems more suited to my area of expertise." She clapped her hands together, delighted by her own brilliance. "Don't you see, brother? We will train the Edgeworth children to take our places, just as Father and Oak trained us. The next leaders of the smuggling ring will be the children of the man who brought it down all those years ago."


	12. Chapter 7 - Training and Torture

The door slowly creaked open, letting in a thin sliver of florescent light. Ivey and Benjamin Edgeworth backed away from the door as had become routine, Ben protectively standing over his sister. The man they had grown to recognize as their captor stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Today is an important day," he said quietly. "Today your training begins."

"Tr-training?" Ivey whimpered. Ben noticed that the man looked a little different today, almost a little reluctant.

"Yes. Benjamin, come with me. You'll be meeting my sister for your instruction."

As Ben stepped forward quickly (they were both familiar with the consequences of hesitance by this point), Ivey grabbed onto him desperately. "Ben, please don't leave me!" she cried. Ben knelt down to be on her level, looking into his sister's bright green eyes.

"Ivey, it'll be okay, I promise. Do it for Mother and Father. I'm sure they're already well on their way to finding us by now. They won't leave us here, they'd go to the ends of the earth to find us. So the least we can do for them is be brave. And you're one of the bravest girls I know. Promise me."

Ivey nodded furiously, rubbing at her tear-stained face with balled fists. "I'll be okay, Ben. I promise."

Ben stood back up, patting her on the head. "I'll be back," he told her, following the man out the door.

Ivey sat by herself in the dark for what seemed like an eternity. "Be brave, be brave," she whispered to herself. It didn't come easy for the six-year-old, despite her naturally confident disposition. She was what her mother called "spunky" and what her father described as "rambunctious." She stifled another sob at the thought of her parents. She tried to think about other things, the water dripping in a pipe across the room, the cold wall against her back, but her mind kept looping around to her current predicament. All she wanted was for her and Ben to get home safely.

Finally, the man returned. Ivey intuitively sensed that something was different about him, some kind of new resolve present in his features. "Follow me," he told her. He led her down a hallway, as long as the train of questions in Ivey's head. Who was this man and where was he taking her? What kind of 'training' were they participating in? Would she ever see her parents again?

The man opened a door at the far end of the hall and led her into a makeshift dojo-like room. "Sit." Ivey sat cross-legged across from him.

"What are we doing here?" she dared to say. The man regarded her calmly with cool blue eyes.

"From now on, you will refer to me as Sensei. I will be training you in martial arts and various other forms of defense. We will have long training sessions every day. As time progresses, you will master many types of weapons-"

"But when will I get to see my family again?" Ivey piped up.

"Please don't interrupt," the man continued, unfazed. "Trust me when I say that this is for your own good. It is far better than the alternative." He stood. "Now, on your feet. Let's get started." Ivey clambered to her feet and the man nodded. "Alright. Attack me."

Ivey looked at him in confusion. He couldn't really mean that, could he? The man's face began to fall into that look of anger that she had come to associate with bad things, so with a yell, she ran up to him and began punching and kicking with all her strength. It was like trying to take down a brick wall with only feet and fists. He looked down at her, unamused and unimpressed.

"We have a lot of work to do."

Ben cautiously entered the dark room where the man had led him. He could hear typing as he approached the computers and saw for the first time the woman sitting in front of them.

"You wanted to see me?" he said, trying to keep his voice from trembling. As much as he tried to act brave for his sister, he was still scared himself.

"Yes," she replied, her gaze still focused on the screens. Between the profile view and the dim lighting, Ben was unable to make out any distinctive facial features. He'd never actually met this woman before, only heard her referenced by the man. "Please sit," she said, gesturing to a chair beside her, eyes never leaving the scrolling numbers.

Ben did as he was told, casually glancing at the screen closest to him. It seemed to be displaying some kind of security footage. He squinted, looking closer. The rooms seemed more than a little familiar.

"Is that our house?"

The woman quickly typed a command and the video feed closed, replacing itself with more scrolling figures. "Nothing that you need to concern yourself with. Now sit quietly, I'll be with you in a moment."

Ben watched the numbers zoom by him – prices for the buying and selling of various goods, the values of stocks in the market, accurate to the minute. He didn't notice that the woman was watching him, watching his expression.

"Do you understand all of this?"

"Yes," Ben replied carefully, looking over at her, not exactly sure what the correct answer should be. She was finally facing him and he was immediately struck by the similarities between her and the man who had captured them – they had to at least be siblings, if not twins.

"I knew you would," the woman said, smiling. Ben didn't like her smile. "Have you figured out why you're here?" Ben shook his head and she laughed. "Well, you, Benjamin Edgeworth, are a very bright child nevertheless. You will be receiving personal training about the smuggling ring operations because one day, you'll take over as leader."

Ben recoiled in horror. Lead the smuggling ring that his father had worked so hard to bring down? "I would never," he said, clenching his hands in fists to keep them from shaking.

The woman regarded him calmly. "I had a feeling you'd say that," she said, turning back to her computers. The screen in front of him blinked, then displayed feed from a camera in another room. His sister was trying to attack their captor, but to no avail – he was immovable. The camera zoomed in close enough to capture every tear on Ivey's terrified face. "Your sister is also receiving training by my brother, the more physical side of the job. But, should you continue to resist your destiny… not every leader needs a bodyguard." She sighed. "My brother was lucky that I was so willing. He never realized that I held his fate in my hands." She looked back at Ben. "You'd be wise to do the same as I did. I wouldn't want something unfortunate to happen to little Ivey."

Ben said nothing. What could he say? It was supposed to be his job to protect his little sister, to keep her safe from harm. He didn't know how he'd live with himself if something were to happen to her because he refused.

"It seems that I've convinced you," the woman said, her blue eyes gleaming with a twisted form of triumph. "Shall we get started?"

Ben nodded once, thinking only of his sister's smiling face. He hoped that he would get to see it once more.

_Later that day…_

"You called?"

Quinn looked back idly at her brother. "How did the first session go?" she asked. It was evident that she didn't really care, she was just trying to make conversation, gauge her brother's mood.

"It was fine. A lot of work to do," Qadir replied carefully. He'd seen a lot of potential in Ivey. His new determination had come from the pep talk he'd given himself before he reentered the room. _These children will have a great future as the leaders of the most successful smuggling ring in the world. _"I assume yours went well?"

"Yes. He really is a very smart boy and has the makings of a great leader." Quinn tapped a few keys. "That's not why I called you."

Qadir rolled his eyes. He knew that already. "What do you need?"

"I think it's time to start the next phase."

"Already?"

"Yes. Best not give them too much time alone. They're smart, they'd think of some way to escape." She turned to face him. "I thought about giving you Mrs. Edgeworth, but she's strong. She could fight back." That was a lie. She had never even remotely considered giving him Madeline to torture. "So as much as it pains me, you get the prosecutor. I really wanted to torture him myself, but…"

As she heaved a overly-dramatic sigh, she heard the door close and smirked. Her brother was already off, as she'd predicted. The chance to personally harm the man that had brought down their father was the only motivation that her brother needed to fully recommit to the plan. He was hers again.

Miles and Madeline Edgeworth sat silently on a bed in the room that they'd been locked in. Their hands were clasped tightly, their only form of contact. They hadn't spoken a word after Madeline had gestured discreetly to the camera on the wall the second the door had closed after their captor. Their surroundings were dark and dank – the building had to have been abandoned for some time. But with no way to relay this information, all the couple could do was sit and worry, about their own situation and that of their children.

Finally, they heard keys jingling outside the room. As the door opened, Edgeworth tried to stand in front of Madeline to protect her from any further harm, but she resolutely stepped up to stand next to him. "We do this together," she murmured as light spilled onto their feet.

A man stepped into the room, his face shadowed. "Madeline Edgeworth," he sneered. "You're coming with me. We're going to see someone very special." He made to grab her arm, but the woman dodged, holding her head high.

"I can walk on my own, thank you," she said, glaring at him. She looked back at her husband, releasing his hand. He didn't let go. "I'll be back," she said quietly, giving him a small worried smile. She used her other hand to gently pull his off, and before he could say a word, she was gone.

The man stayed for a second longer, staring at him, then backed to the doorway. "I'll be back for you," he said, closing the door behind him. Edgeworth was left alone with his thoughts. He sat back down, almost overcome with worry at this point. _If this really is a revenge plot for the smuggling ring,_ he thought, _it's surprisingly effective. I took everything away from Quercus Alba, now these villains are taking everything away from me._

He wondered if his friends would realize that something was wrong when he didn't appear at the precinct in the morning. It could have already happened – he had no sense of time in this place. There could be a party searching for them already, but with no leads, it could be, no, would be impossible to track them down. Edgeworth sighed. He would have to rely on the ingenuity of Kay, the dedication of Gumshoe, and the resources of Franziska and Lang. That group would find him and Madeline, he had to believe that.

The sound of a key turning in a lock alerted him to the man's return. He stood as the door opened and the man stepped inside with no hesitation. "Come with me," he demanded. Edgeworth followed him down a long hallway. The man shoved him into a room that to the prosecutor, resembled a crudely-made training room.

Before Edgeworth could even open his mouth, his feet were knocked out from underneath him and he crashed down onto the padded floor, the wind knocked out of him. He sensed the man leaning over him.

"Are you ready to pay for what you did to my father, prosecutor?" his captor hissed.

With great effort, Edgeworth lifted his head and spoke, halting for breath. "I… didn't know Alba… had any children." He was slammed into the floor again, the man's foot heavy on his back.

"Well, that's to be expected. You didn't exactly search into my father's background before you incarcerated him!" The man's voice was rough with hatred.

"Your father… was a criminal," Edgeworth muttered. "But you… you know that already, don't you?" The pressure keeping him to the floor was removed and the prosecutor rolled over with great difficulty, squinting to get a glimpse of his attacker. "Y-you?" The man standing over him now, blue eyes gleaming with fury, was the paramedic he'd met in the park, the one who'd given Madeline the anesthetic.

"Recognize me now?" The man spread his arms, giving Edgeworth a clear look. "I saved your precious wife. The poison would have killed her like it killed Burr Oak if I hadn't given her the antidote."

"Y-you saved her?"

"Yes, I did. It wasn't time for her to die, although that time may be fast approaching. I did attack her too, however, so don't go thanking me. I don't want your gratitude."

"I never intended to give you any," Edgeworth spat, struggling to his feet. "Where are my children? What have you done with them?"

"All in good time, Mr. Edgeworth, all in good time." The man smirked. "We're just getting started. I've been looking forward to this."

Before Edgeworth could react, he was punched in the stomach. He hit the floor again, his mind reeling. There was so much information to process and as he heard the sound of a knife being sharpened, he got the sense that he was not going to have enough time to take it all in.

Madeline was shoved unceremoniously into a dark room. She stood up shakily, looking around. It was literally impossible to see anything.

"Hello?" she called, putting on a bravado she really didn't feel. "Anyone here? If this is a waste of my time, I'd like to go back to my cell now."

Suddenly, a screen at the far end of the room flickered on. "Hello?"

"B-Ben?" Madeline whispered, her eyes filling with tears again. "Ben, where are you?"

"Is someone there? Can you help us? Please, my sister and I need help!"

Madeline sprinted to the screen. Her son's face simultaneously relieved her and broke her heart. "Ben, it's me! It's your mother! Can you hear me?"

Ben's image squinted at the camera. "Who are you? I've never seen you before."

Madeline's stomach dropped. "Ben, I-"

The screen started to break up and Ben's face looked more desperate. "No, please don't go! We need help!"

"BEN!" Madeline screamed, collapsing, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Please… Please be alright…"

An amused chuckling began – soft at first, then growing louder and louder until it echoed all around her. A single spotlight shone down on a woman seated in front of a bank of computers. Her blue eyes were gleaming with mirth as she contentedly twirled a strand of brown hair around her finger, watching the crying woman calmly.

"You were surprisingly easy to break, Madeline Edgeworth," the woman said once she'd finished laughing. Madeline approached slowly, looking for an opening. The woman in the chair noticed her eyes flashing back and forth and grinned. "I wouldn't attack me if I were you. Weren't you paying attention to your poor son at all?"

"That wasn't real," Madeline retorted, taking a wild gamble. "My son wouldn't forget me…" Her voice trailed off as the woman's laughter resumed.

"So you really are as clever as they say," she said mockingly. "Or you've developed a skill in bluffing like your associate Phoenix Wright."

"How do you-"

"Mrs. Edgeworth, let me assure you, I know a great deal more than you think I do." The woman turned back to the computer screens, sighing. "Yes, that video was fake. It was a clever use of real footage and voice manipulation." She glanced over her shoulder at Madeline, who was frozen in place. "I trust you realize what that means. I am the one who kidnapped your children – or rather, my brother is."

"Are they alright? What do you want with them?" Madeline asked, her voice shaking with fury and a fair amount of fear.

"They're perfectly safe. I have plans for them that don't involve harming them," the woman replied calmly, turning away again. Madeline began to approach again.

"Then what's to stop me from killing you now?" she spat, ignoring the pounding headache beginning to form from the blow to her head earlier.

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you," the woman said softly. She tapped a few keys and a new video feed was pulled up on the screen closest to Madeline. She paled in horror, sinking into the chair in front of the screen. The woman smirked, noting the irony; only hours before, her son had sat in the same seat.

"M-Miles," Madeline whispered. Her husband was in a different room, being brutally beaten by a man she'd never seen before, but she assumed it could be their attacker. She hoped it was – the idea that this new ring could be bigger than two was incredibly frightening. Her eyes welled up with angry tears and she turned toward the woman. "Stop this!" she yelled. "Take me instead, please!"

"You'd do that for him?" the woman asked interestedly, turning to look at the prosecutor's wife. "My brother's skills are not to be taken lightly."

Madeline was unable to take her eyes off the screen. "I'd do anything," she muttered.

The woman nodded, pressing a button near a microphone. "Brother?" The man on the footage paused in his torture and looked up, clearly listening. "It's time."

The man looked up, directly at the camera, and gave it a wicked smile before reaching for a knife and throwing it directly at the camera. Madeline's hand flew to her mouth.

"You!"

She started to find that the woman was standing just behind her. "Oh, my dear Mrs. Edgeworth. Don't worry. My brother won't kill Prosecutor Edgeworth or the children, not while I'm here to keep him in check. I should certainly hope nothing should happen to me…" She left the end of that sentence hanging, ominously, leaving Madeline to imagine the rest.

"What do you want?" Madeline asked through gritted teeth, trying to discreetly wipe tears from her cheeks. "I'll do anything, please, just let us go."

The woman's laughter was almost melodic as she placed her hands on Madeline's shoulders. "This isn't about you, Mrs. Edgeworth. This isn't even about me. This is about someone much more important: my father. And I'm just getting started." She sighed happily. "So sit back, Madeline. We have so much more to talk about."


	13. Interlude 5 - Days Past

Qadir was resting on his bed, tired after a long day of training and torture. It had been about three days since the double duty had begun. His young protégée was showing a little improvement – she was strong and willing to learn, but he was fairly certain that she was motivated by fear and not by dedication to the ring's goals.

His other job, the torture one, now that was what he lived for. Miles Edgeworth was to blame for everything that had happened to him and to his sister. That prosecutor had brought down his father, caused the fall of the smuggling ring, and turned his sister into the revenge-driven power hungry woman she was now. Although, when he really thought about it, she'd always been like that, to some extent.

He closed his eyes and was instantly transported to another time, as often happened when he had a moment to himself. As much as he could say his sister was obsessed with revenge, he was obsessed with 'what ifs?'

_"__Come on, Qadir!"_

_Qadir groaned as his sister shoved through the crowded marketplace. The summer sun beat down on his back, coating it with a layer of sweat as his eyes scanned the people moving around him. His sister was very bright for seven years old, but she had a lot to learn about the world. They clearly looked Allebahstian, but with the interrogation laws getting more and more strict and the guards in their green and red uniforms getting more and more common, everyone seemed on edge, even his parents._

_"__Qadir, faster!"_

_Qadir reluctantly looked back to where his parents were examining a stall of fresh fruit, chatting and laughing with the owner. They sometimes tried to take time out of their day to spend time with their children, but more often than not during these escapades, Quinn would lead Qadir away for an adventure. He was starting to think that his sister enjoyed the feeling of doing wrong, of proving that she was smarter than the people around her. He knew that Quinn felt resentment toward their parents for leaving them alone so often (they hadn't really had much of a childhood because of their parents' rigorous work schedules), so she liked to lash out by running away when she felt like it. He didn't like his parents' attitude toward them either, but he wouldn't dream of acting like Quinn. But she was his sister, so he naturally wanted to protect her._

_The pair wandered into the kid section of the market. It had a carnival-like atmosphere, with games and food galore. Qadir fingered the coins in his pocket, eyeing the funnel cakes and ice cream treats. There was no way his parents would buy him any of that – maybe this adventure would lead to something good after all._

_Quinn, however, bypassed all of the food, pausing in front of one of those games where someone uses a mallet to slam a button as hard as they can. The barker was calling to the crowd as Qadir slid to a stop next to her._

_"__Think you can do it, folks? The first prize is legendary – a brand new laptop from Sigma Tech, Allebahst's leader in the technology market, loaded with the new season of The Steel Samurai, previously unavailable to the public!"_

_"__Qadir, can you… win that for me?" Quinn looked at him appraisingly. "I know you can do it."_

_"__I'll try." Qadir couldn't help but feel that Quinn had led him here specifically for this. He stepped forward, brushing his long brown hair out of his eyes. _

_"__Well, howdy there, small fry. You want to take a crack at this big boy game?" the barker asked. Qadir knew he didn't look like much (he was only seven years old), but the barker's condescending tone only motivated him further. He took the hammer and with a strained yell, slammed it down. It hit the bell easily._

_The crowd murmured in surprise as Qadir took the prize from the shocked barker and handed it to his sister. She gave him a delighted grin in return, but he could see her already planning how to make money off The Steel Samurai in her head. Quinn was never grateful for very long._

_His sister noticed him looking longingly toward the stall of cotton candy and sighed. "Alright, since you did something for me…" Qadir was already gone, selecting his tub of sweet spun sugar with a huge grin. Quinn followed him, shaking her head at her brother's immaturity. "Wait, wait, hang on," she stopped him before he could hand over money. "Look here, brother. This one is a better deal. You can get two smaller ones for less money. You'll even end up with more than you would have had." _

_Qadir's eyes were huge, as they always did when his sister demonstrated her genius. "Thanks Quinn!" The two siblings walked away side by side, leaving behind a very upset shopkeeper. Qadir looked back only once, but what he saw was burned in his mind forever – a somewhat familiar old-looking man watching them go with a cold, calculating look on his face. Qadir couldn't figure out why he felt like he'd seem him before, but even so, he did not like the look that man was giving them – as though they were specimens in a lab to be experimented with… or on. _

_A few days later…_

_Quinn and Qadir were sitting in the living room of their Allebahstian mansion, by themselves as usual. Their parents were working upstairs in their offices where they were not to be disturbed. Quinn was working on her new Sigma laptop. She'd already installed programs that Qadir thought were illegal and was now working on something – he wasn't quite smart enough to figure out what. He resigned himself to his punching bag._

_Suddenly, the door to the living room was opened and their father entered, leading two men into the room. "I must admit, Ambassador Alba, this is quite a surprise. We were not expecting any callers today."_

_Quinn slammed her laptop shut quickly, standing and beginning to make tea for the guests. Qadir casually pushed his punching bag to the corner, wiping his sweaty face on his shirt. He glanced over at the men on the couch and stiffened. One of them was the familiar-looking man from the market… the ambassador! The other man seemed to be watching him closely, so Qadir stared right back, challenging him. He wasn't afraid._

_Alba had been talking the entire time, but Qadir only now tuned in. "…I would like to speak to both you and your wife, if that's possible."_

_Their father shifted uncomfortably as Quinn poured tea, attempting to look as though she wasn't listening intently. Her eyes were gleaming, as though she knew something that no one else did. _

_ "__Well, Ambassador, as you know, my wife is very busy, as am I, and-"_

_ "__I don't think you heard me." His green eyes were cold. "I said I would like to speak to both you and your wife." _

_ "__Yes, Ambassador, I'll go get her. I'm sorry." Their father left the room, looking very puzzled._

_ "__You two are the children, yes? Quinn and Qadir?" Alba said, gazing over his teacup at them._

_ "__Yes, sir," Qadir replied politely as Quinn moved to stand next to him. There was still something a little unnerving about this man. _

_ "__It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Quercus Alba," the ambassador said, smiling. It wasn't a nice smile; it reminded Qadir of the calculating look he'd seen him with last time. "This is my partner, Burr Oak." The other man nodded, still looking at them appraisingly. _

_ "__These are the ones, Quercus?" he asked._

_ "__All in good time, all in good time," Alba replied calmly, his smile not shaken. "Now children, some things are about to happen that may seem frightening, but I promise you, things will be perfectly fine." He leaned forward. "Your lives are about to change forever."_

No matter how hard Qadir tried to think about the rest, it was always a blur. The entire family was taken that day and right after the sibling's training started, their parents were killed before their eyes. He knew Quinn had felt total detachment and he felt a fair amount, although there was a tiny twinge of guilt. But under the tutelage of Burr Oak and the guidance of Quercus Alba (he quickly overcame his unease towards the man), Quinn and Qadir had made a new life for themselves, one where they were cared for and respected. And as much as Qadir wondered 'what if?', he could never come up with an outcome where things would be any better than they had been before the ring was destroyed.

He swung his legs over the side of his bed, getting up without sleeping a wink. He had too much energy. Time to go torture some more.


	14. Chapter 8 - Putting It Together

The office of Miles Edgeworth was crowded, unusual for this time of the day, or any time of the day, really. Kay and Gumshoe were in deep conversation near the window. Franziska and Lang were also in conference near the desk. The mood was somber.

Finally, the door opened one last time, admitting Phoenix Wright, Maya Fey, and a complaining Larry Butz.

"Aw, come on, Nick, I was in the middle of something-"

"Save it, Larry, this might be important," Phoenix said sternly. If Kay called a meeting with all of them, something serious had to have happened with the case. They'd been trying to help as much as they could after Edgeworth had called them on day two – Phoenix had become involved in the investigation as well, Maya was keeping a constant eye on the spirit world, just in case the worst were to occur, and Larry… well, Larry was just being Larry. They couldn't uninvolve him even if they were to waste time trying.

"Okay, everyone's here," Kay said, calling the room to order. "I want to discuss recent developments with everyone, starting with this." She held up a piece of paper in her gloved fingers. "The note that was found in the Edgeworths' apartment one week ago."

"What exactly does the note say again?" Maya asked. Kay obligingly read it aloud.

"Friends and colleagues, I'm sorry to say this in this sudden and impersonal manner, but we need to get away from here. Every place we see is causing Madeline pain and I cannot bear to see her this way. Having our children taken like this has caused us unimaginable pain and sorrow. Please don't try to follow us. It's better this way. Thank you for your efforts thus far and perhaps we shall meet again someday. M.E."

If possible, the mood in the office grew even more despondent. It seemed difficult, if not impossible, to continue without Miles and Madeline. "So, what now?" Larry asked.

Kay's eyes hadn't left the note. "I don't know, I just still think there's something off about it," she murmured. The Edgeworth she knew wouldn't just run away. Something was seriously wrong. "I think we need to look for them. It's a very real possibility that something's happened."

"But we don't know that for sure," Maya gently reminded Kay, whose face fell. "Maybe Edgeworth really did just want to get Madeline out. She wasn't doing so great…"

"And to start searching for them would seriously draw from our search for Ben and Ivey," Phoenix pointed out. He checked his watch. "Speaking of, the detectives should be reporting back in soon. We should go meet them. Come on, Maya, Larry."

"W-wait, aren't you even a little concerned about this?" Kay called after them frantically.

"Of course we are," Phoenix replied, pausing at the door, "but I made a promise to Edgeworth that'd I'd find Ben and Ivey and that's what I'm going to do." And with that, he was gone, taking Maya and Larry with him.

Kay sighed in frustration. How could they not see the importance of at least checking this out? "What about you two?" she asked Franziska and Lang. "Will you help?"

"You know him best," Lang said, looking to Franziska. "Would he do this?"

Franziska thought for just a moment, then shook her head. "The only way my brother would leave this case is if he was dragged from it."

"So it's settled then," Lang replied, stretching. "We need to follow this lead-"

He was interrupted by his phone ringing, the tinny tone harsh in the quiet office. The agent pulled it out, looking at the caller, his face clouding in confusion. "Excuse me a moment."

Gumshoe piped up at that moment. "Kay, the lab should be done examining Burr Oak's laptop by now. Maybe they could get it working again."

"Do you think there'll be any clues on it, Gummy?" Kay's voice was starting to ring hollow in her own ears.

"Don't give up yet, Kay," Gumshoe responded, patting the thief on the back. "We'll find something, we always do. We just need to use logic!"

"It feels kind of strange to hear you saying that, Gummy," Kay said, laughing a little. Even Franziska smiled, glad to see everyone keeping their spirits up.

The door suddenly burst open and Agent Lang stormed in, his face dark with fury. "Franziska, we need to go to headquarters, now," he barked, clearly struggling to control his rage.

"What? Why?" Franziska asked in confusion, her whip finding its way into her hands.

"Someone called in a false tip. Unprofessional behavior, both of us. We may get kicked off the case."

"No…" Kay breathed. This couldn't be happening. She looked over at the Interpol agents, her eyes hard. "This can't be a coincidence. Someone wants you off this case."

"Don't jump to conclusions, Kay," Gumshoe replied, although it was evident by his face that he thought the same thing.

"Trust me, we'll be back," Lang growled. "We're going to go get this straightened out right now."

"We'll keep you posted," Kay replied, holding the door open for them. She was half-afraid Agent Lang would rip it off its hinges if she didn't. As the elevator door closed, the thief turned back to Gumshoe. "We'd better head to the precinct. It's our best shot at finding some clues."

Thirty minutes later, Gumshoe's rickety old car pulled into a spot in front of the police department. "Let's go in and check out the laptop. I think that's our best bet for information right now," Gumshoe commented as Kay unfastened her seat belt.

"What are we waiting for?" she asked as she jumped out of the car and ran toward the precinct. The detective hurried after her, making sure to lock his car behind them.

As they shoved the doors open, it felt like the entire department turned to stare at them. Something in their expressions made Kay stop in her tracks. What were they staring at?

"Miss Faraday. Detective," one of the head detectives greeted them, cutting off their route to the labs. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Excuse me?!" Kay asked, infuriated.

"Sir, with all due respect, you know how important this case is to us," Gumshoe argued, stepping in front of Kay.

The head detective let out a heavy sigh. "I know, Dick, I know. We want to find those kids as badly as you do. But orders are orders. I got the email from the chief a few minutes ago. You're off the case." He looked around, ensuring all the other detectives were back to work. "And to be honest, I was supposed to arrest you for obstruction of justice."

"Wh-What?!" Kay replied, her voice shaking with anger. "What did we do wrong?"

"I don't know," the detective said, looking genuinely confused. "But you helped me out once, Detective. So just… do me a favor and don't come back. Or I really will have to arrest you."

"B-but-" Kay stammered. Off the case?

"Come on, Kay," Gumshoe said quietly, gently guiding the thief out the door. "We'll be no good to anyone in the detention center."

The pair sat in Gumshoe's car, downcast. "What are we going to do, Gummy?" Kay asked in a low voice.

Gumshoe sighed. "I don't know, pal. Off the case…"

There was a moment of silence. Then Kay straightened up, her eyes glowing with new determination. "Well, I'll tell you what we're not going to do. We're not going to give up. Ever. We're going to save everyone, whether we're 'on the case' or not!"

"But we have no leads and no ways to get any," Gumshoe reminded her sorrowfully. "We can't go inside the Criminal Affairs Department to get the laptop."

Kay balled her hands into fists. "We may not have to."

The knock couldn't have come soon enough. Kay threw open the door to the Edgeworths' apartment (where she and Gumshoe had set up a temporary base) and engulfed Maya in a huge hug.

"Are you guys okay?" Maya asked in concern. "We overheard the detectives talking right before you showed up at the precinct. We didn't have time to call and warn you."

"We're fine, Maya," Kay replied. "Did you get it?"

"Right here." The medium pulled Oak's laptop out of a bag on her shoulder. "It was really tough, getting it out. I hope this helps you."

"Thank you so much, Maya!" Kay took the laptop and immediately began setting it up on the kitchen table. "If this thing holds any clues, it could lead us to Ben and Ivey, and hopefully Miles and Madeline as well."

"I'd better head back," Maya said, checking her phone for the time. "The next group of policemen should be reporting in soon, which means it's almost time for me to check the spirit world again." She headed toward the door with a weary sigh. The duty was starting to weigh on the young spirit medium quite a bit. "I'll call you if anything happens."

"Thank you, Maya!" Kay yelled after her. As the door closed, she turned around, looking for her partner. "Gummy, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to hide every time the doorbell rings?" It had only rang twice – for Maya and for the dog walker for Pess, but Gumshoe had stayed out of sight. The detective reentered the kitchen sheepishly.

"Sorry, pal, I just get nervous. If they find us still working the case…"

"Gummy, we have to do this for the Edgeworths," Kay reassured him, quickly typing the password as she'd done so many times before. They both leaned closer as the screen loaded, holding their breath, half-expecting it to fade into black. They waited… and waited… but it didn't.

"They did it!" Gumshoe said excitedly, hugging Kay tightly. "They fixed it!"

"All our bets are on this computer," Kay said grimly. "This is all or nothing. Hopefully there's something we can use in Oak's files."

And the search began. They alternated, the one not using the computer making food and offering support as needed. They sifted through business reports and spreadsheets – apparently since the fall of the ring, Burr Oak had become a successful entrepreneur. But none of that was what they were looking for.

Finally, Kay sat back, exhausted. "We've looked through every file on this thing," she said hopelessly, her eyes filling with angry tears. "We risked everything for this! For nothing!" Before she could stop herself, her gloved hand gave the laptop an angry smack. A small part of the backing detached and clattered to the table.

For a moment, all the two could do was stare at it. "This is it, it has to be," Kay breathed.

"It was right under our noses the entire time, pal," Gumshoe replied, picking it up and slotting it into the USB port. Immediately, new files flooded the computer, all in a folder called "Second Generation – Plan B."

"So his plan B was… to betray the new ring," Kay said, clicking on a letter named 'To Whom it May Concern.' "This seems like a good place to start."

**To whom it may concern,**

**My name is Burr Oak. Long ago, I was a partner in an international smuggling ring with Quercus Alba. But if you are reading this, I can safely assume that I am dead, and you are in need of information. If I have died of natural causes, this document will not exist, so I can assume I have been murdered, in which case, there is only one possibility. Only one person can beat me in a fight. Or shall I say, one group. **

**Please excuse the ramblings of an old man. I've done some things that I am not proud of, and conversely, some that I am extremely proud of. Training Eagle was one of them. He is a strong boy, surpassing even me in skill. So I am sure that he is the only one who could manage to murder me, and I'm sure it was on Swan's command. I suppose I should explain.**

**Swan and Eagle are the code names for Quinn and Qadir Alba, who I assume are now leading the rebirth of the smuggling ring. They were taken in by Quercus Alba and myself when they were very young. It seems so long ago now. We trained them to take our places one day. Now the time has come.**

**I assume you, reader, are on the side of justice, and as such, I can clear my conscience with you. We corrupted these children, forcing our ideals and goals on them like ill-fitting clothing. Quinn was always a little more suited to it than Qadir, but that's life. One twin can easily poison another. **

**I can hear the window opening in the room next door. He's coming for me. Perhaps he will toy with me, have the decency to allow me to finish this letter. I rather doubt it. He'll get it over with quickly, probably with the poison method I taught him. He still has some respect for me, his teacher, I hope. **

**Stop them. They will grow more powerful than Quercus and I ever did if you leave them unchecked. I have no way of knowing where their base is, but look for old buildings that have recently had electricity restored. Quinn will need that. That is the only advice I can give you. **

**I wish you the best of luck. I hope this was enough to atone for my sins. I couldn't stand to live in this dark world anymore, and the only one who deserves to kill me is my own student. Qadir, I did this for you.**

**~Burr Oak**

"Quinn and Qadir Alba, huh?" Gumshoe said, exhaling heavily. "At least we have names. But we don't know-"

"Hello, Franziska?" Kay already had her phone pressed to her ear. "We have new information. We're going to get them, but we're going to need your help."


	15. Chapter 9 - The Next Phase

"Madeline?! Madeline, are you there? Answer me!"

"Mother, where are you? Mother!"

"Mommy! Mommy, I need you!"

"Please, our daughter, where is she? We need to tell her-"

"Maddy! Where's my baby sister?"

The last one caused Madeline to clap her hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. "Ivy," she murmured behind her fingers. She was curled in the center of a completely white room, being barraged from all angles by the terrified voices of her family and friends. Her vision swam with unshed tears as faces swirled all around her. She closed her eyes and tried to tune everything out. As the days went by, it was getting more and more difficult to distinguish between reality and what was only in her head.

She opened her eyes, lifting herself slightly, hands pressed over her ears, muffling the sounds. Faces danced before her eyes, her parents, her children. Finally, she focused on one: Miles Edgeworth, his face bruised and bloody and contorted with fury, banging against what seemed to be a glass wall that she'd never noticed before, despite the many times she'd been in here.

"It's not him," she whispered. "It's all in your mind, Madeline. All in your mind…" She closed her eyes again, curling back up on the floor, ensuring that her face couldn't be seen by any camera, then letting the tears flow for everyone she couldn't save.

"Let her go, now!" Edgeworth yelled, banging even harder on the glass that separated him from his wife. For the moment, his pain was forgotten, all his energy focused on Madeline. He looked to the right, to the content woman sitting in a chair, overseeing his wife's torture. He took a step toward her, but was stopped sharply by a hand yanking him back – he'd forgotten his captor was still behind him. He watched helplessly as his wife sank back down to the floor, curled away from him. He couldn't hear anything that was going on in the room, but if what she mumbled in her sleep was to be believed, it was pure hell.

"How adorable," the woman whispered, the ghost of a smirk barely visible in the dim lighting. "She thinks I can't see her, she's trying not to give me the satisfaction…" She tapped a few keys. "Here, Prosecutor Edgeworth, would you like to see?" Madeline's face appeared on the screen, wet with tears, hands still clamped over her ears.

Something snapped inside of the prosecutor. He roughly shook Qadir's hands off him, crossing the room in a few strides, grabbing the petite woman by her collar. "Let Madeline and my children go. It's me you want and I know it."

The woman stared back at him with cool blue eyes. "Brother," she said, as simply as if she were asking him how he liked his coffee. Edgeworth dropped her back in her chair as his arms were pulled behind his back again. "I think it's almost time. Don't you?"

There was a grunt of assent from behind the prosecutor. Edgeworth didn't take his eyes off the woman, his gaze hard.

"Take Mr. Edgeworth back to his cell, then come back for his wife. Return to me for briefing. The next phase begins tomorrow morning."

When Madeline was roughly tossed into the room, Edgeworth was waiting. His arms were immediately around her, guiding her to the bed, wiping her face clean. She sat in silence for a few minutes, her eyes closed, recovering herself. This had become routine.

Finally, her gray eyes opened, and she examined him. "This is really bad," she whispered, gently tracing the black eye he'd gotten a few days ago. He winced, but she didn't retreat, her eyes finding the new bloodstains. She unbuttoned his shirt, letting out a soft gasp at the new lattice of wounds on his torso. "Miles," she breathed, her eyes filling again. "When will this end?"

"Soon," he replied as she crossed the room, ripping off a piece of her sweater and wetting it with some of their water ration for the day. She gently began to wash the slashes, trying to ignore his sharp intakes of breath. "Something big is happening tomorrow."

His wife hung the makeshift rag over the edge of the bed, curling up beside him. He looked down at her, hating the haunted look in her eyes. "Well, if the worst should come tomorrow, promise me something." He said nothing, so she continued. "Promise me you won't bargain for my life or try to persuade them to free me, because Miles…" She paused to ensure she had his attention. "I cannot live without you."

"Madeline, I can't-"

"You have to," she cut him off fiercely, then she held up a hand, listening. Footsteps in the hall came closer and closer until the door to their room opened.

"Mother!"

"Daddy!"

"Ivey, Ben!" Madeline jumped off the bed, pulling both her children into a tight embrace. "Thank god you're alright…" Edgeworth just barely saw the shape of the man closing the door, his eyes unreadable. The prosecutor got up as well, putting his arms around his family, ignoring the shooting pains all over his body.

"Are you both alright?" he asked. They looked pale and afraid, but otherwise, fine.

"W-we're fine," Ivey said shakily, still holding on to her mother, her knuckles white.

"Father, you… what have they done to you?" Ben breathed, horrified. Before Edgeworth could answer, his son hugged him tightly. Edgeworth put his arms around him, ignoring the stings in his chest.

"I'm proud of you, Ben. And you too, Ivey. You've been so brave." He didn't know what else to say. His relief was overpowering him, striking him dumb for the moment. His family was alright, for the time being. But how long would they remain that way?

"Father, they…" Ben struggled with the words, his gray eyes tearing up. "Father, they plan to make us the next leaders of the smuggling ring."

"Over my dead body," Edgeworth growled, struggling to his feet.

"They're keeping us all together here for one more night, then…" Ben's voice broke. "They plan to kill you two in the morning-, I'm sorry, Ivey, I had to say it." His sister's pained shriek had interrupted his sentence as she buried her face into her mother's sweater, tears spilling from her emerald eyes. "They need to know, Ivey. Maybe we can escape."

Madeline hugged her daughter to her chest. "Miles, what can we do?" she asked shakily. "We can't just sit here and wait."

"Madeline…" Edgeworth sighed, sitting back down. "We may have to."

"But Father!" Ben protested. "There has to be a way to-"

"It's alright, Ben," Madeline said gently, noting the prosecutor's expression. She knew it was painful for him to be here, without some kind of escape plan in a situation that he viewed to be his fault. She also didn't want to put her son at risk - as far as she knew, the cameras were still recording and she was sure their captors wouldn't hesitate to take some kind of action if Ben said something they didn't like.

Edgeworth was lost in his own mind as his wife gently coaxed the children over to the small bed and tried to get them to rest. Their options were limited, but given time, perhaps he could think of a plan. _Our best bet is when they're transporting us to wherever this will take place. That will be the time to act. For now, we have to place our trust in Kay, Gumshoe, Lang, and Franziska. Perhaps they'll find us before the morning._


	16. Chapter 10 - The Miracle

Jingling of keys outside of their door indicated that it was morning. Ben and Ivey were still asleep, their heads resting on their mother's lap. Madeline hadn't slept at all. She stroked their hair as she watched her husband pace around the small room, trying to think of a plan.

"Miles," she said quietly. "It's time."

"No," he muttered. "There has to be a way out, a logical solution. There has to be!"

"Miles!" Madeline's eyes were glittering with tears. "There's nothing we can do right now. Neither of us are in the physical condition to fight."

Edgeworth looked back at her, shocked. He'd never heard her talk like this before. His wife looked down at their children and he suddenly understood – she didn't want to hurt them by being tortured in front of them.

"Madeline… I'm sorry. This should have been my battle, but I got you involved in all of this, got them…" Edgeworth gestured hopelessly to their sleeping children.

"Miles." Her voice was calmer now. "We have to hope for a miracle. That's all we can do."

"Your miracle won't be arriving anytime soon, dear," the woman's voice rang out as the door opened. She stood proudly, her brother a step behind her, carrying a large gun, his eyes dark. "Your friends were all removed from the case due to various… infractions." The way she smirked on the final word clearly indicated that she had caused their removal.

"How-"

"Brother," the woman interrupted, glancing over her shoulder. "Tie them up."

Ben and Ivey were awake by now, instantly assessing the situation and standing protectively in front their mother. "Please, Sensei," Ivey begged, her voice thick with tears. "Please don't do this."

The man paused for just a moment, then grabbed Madeline's wrists and tied them together. He advanced toward Edgeworth, holding another length of rope. "Don't give me any trouble," he warned, his voice menacing.

"Don't talk to my father that way!" Ben retorted angrily. Edgeworth prepared to fight – the man looked like he was about to backhand his son into the wall. But in a moment, the man had composed himself, giving Ben a short bow.

"I apologize," he replied through gritted teeth, tying up Edgeworth's hands a bit more roughly than necessary. "They're ready," he called back to his sister.

"Come on, children," the woman said sweetly, grabbing their hands and forcing them away from Madeline. She lunged forward, but caught herself, her eyes tortured at the sight of her captor leading her children away.

Madeline knew the room they were brought into all too well. She couldn't hold in a shudder – this was the room she'd been tortured in for the first time. Skylights in the ceiling provided the only light, lighting up harsh rectangles of dirty cement. The sun was just coming up.

"Let's get started," the woman said, smirking, hands firmly clamped on the children's shoulders. Miles and Madeline Edgeworth were seated in chairs, back to back, their hands still bound behind them. Madeline's fingers tightly grabbed Edgeworth's as the man started to circle them, stroking his gun.

"Tell me, Prosecutor Edgeworth, are you a gambling man?" The woman collapsed into hysterical giggles. "Sorry, I've just always wanted to say that." The thrill of having her revenge must be going to her head.

"Please," Madeline scoffed. "The closest he gets to gambling is when we used to bet who had to make dinner on a game of chess. But that was a long time ago."

"That's a start, I suppose," the woman replied, still wearing that insufferable smirk that only Edgeworth could see. "Well, we're going to have some fun with this. Brother?"

The man brought the woman his gun and she removed her hands from Ben and Ivey's shoulders to receive it. Edgeworth frantically tried to use nonverbal communication to stop Ben, who looked like he was about to run for his parents at any second. Ivey looked too scared to move, her green eyes wide. In this serious situation, her spirit had been completely drained.

The woman removed the bullets from the gun, considered for a moment, then selected two, holding them out to her brother. He reloaded the gun with only two bullets, the resumed his circling.

"Let's play a little game, shall we? My darling brother has a gun loaded with just two bullets. We'll make this fair – we'll take turns." The man grinned maliciously, leveling the gun at Edgeworth, who suddenly grasped what was about to happen: the man would pull the trigger, but with only two bullets, a shot wasn't guaranteed. The barrel lazily drifted from his forehead to his neck, before finally resting on his heart. Madeline's fingers tightened around his wrist and he realized that she couldn't see what was going on at all. The prosecutor closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate. His head felt like it was filled with cotton. He could hear crying and pleading from his children, but it was strangely muffled. This was it. This was the end.

There was a loud click. Nothing. There was a loud, seemingly involuntary, sigh of relief from behind him as his wife's fingers relaxed slightly.

"I wouldn't be so relieved, Mrs. Edgeworth, you're next," the man growled, quickly completing the semicircle to point the gun at her. But just as he was about to fire…

There was a loud crash from above their heads as glass shards rained down to the floor. A figure gracefully fell from the now-broken skylight, landing in a crouched position. "Even in the depths of night, when no other bird dares to take flight, one alone soars to shine the light of righteousness on the world's blight! The Yatagarasu!" Kay Faraday stood, brushing glass off her clothes and striking a dramatic pose. "Come and get me, Qadir! You too, Quinn, I dare you! This is what you get when you try to take the Yatagarasu off the case!" And without further ado, she ran out the door.

"Leave this one to me, brother," the woman, now known as Quinn, whispered dangerously. And she was gone, running after Kay, fury in her eyes.

"If this is some kind of stupidly planned escape attempt, it won't wo - ARGH!" Qadir's threat was cut off by another figure falling on top of him, one more close behind. Shi-Long Lang began mercilessly punching Qadir, roaring something about honor, as Franziska von Karma focused on cutting the ropes binding the Edgeworths. Ben and Ivey immediately ran over to their parents, hugging them tightly and wiping away tears.

"Fr-Franziska," Edgeworth gasped, still a little in shock. Everything had happened so fast – it was taking time to process.

"Don't just stand there, Miles Edgeworth!" his sister scolded, still looking a little shaken herself. "We need to get out of here!"

"Right," Edgeworth agreed. "What was your plan from here?"

"Well, the foolish detective should be coming soon to show us the way to-" At that second, Gumshoe opened the door and ran over to crush Edgeworth in a huge hug.

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth, sir, thank goodness you're okay, we were all so worried-"

"Ah, Detective? We need to leave now," Madeline reminded him gently, holding her children by the hands.

Gumshoe quickly released his boss (who was glowering) and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, right, yes, Mrs. Edgeworth, sir! Right this way!"

Edgeworth picked up Ivey, afraid that she wouldn't be able to run fast enough. He needed to see everyone to safety – he was the one who got them into this mess, after all. "Come, Agent Lang," he called. The agent nodded, delivered one final punch to Qadir's face, then ran after the others.

"Glad to see you're okay, Mr. Prosecutor," he called as they sprinted down the hallway. "I was a little worried."

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Madeline asked Gumshoe. They'd been running for about ten minutes. "All these hallways look the same!"

"I'm sure, sir, don't you worry! We'll have you out of here in no time." The detective took one more right turn. "Ah, here it is!" The end of the hallway was open to the outside, covered only by a flapping tarp. Gumshoe ran to the end, lifting the plastic and looking down. "We're on the second floor. We're going to have to jump, but I see the van! Mr. Wright, Maya, and Larry are waiting for us!"

Squinting, Edgeworth could barely see the red glint of taillights in the distance. He couldn't help but smile a little, despite the situation – his friends were really something else.

Suddenly, there was a cry of pain and Ben's hand was dragged out of Madeline's grip. The party turned around to see Qadir holding tightly to Ben's other arm, crouched on the floor with pain.

"Let him go," Edgeworth said dangerously, gently setting his daughter down and pushing Madeline behind him. Qadir laughed, a short bark that was more pain than humor.

"This kid is my last shot," he coughed, clearly still aching from the beating that Lang gave him. "My last chance to get my sister back to normal and get my revenge on you, Miles Edgeworth." He pulled out the gun, brandishing it with a shaking hand. "So stay back!" Then Qadir's captive made his move.

Ben's foot shot out, connecting squarely with Qadir's nose. The man howled in pain (it had already been severely injured by Lang), dropped his weapon, and clutched the injury without releasing Ben, who struggled valiantly. Edgeworth took advantage of this moment to grab the gun from the floor and point it straight at the man. Qadir looked up at it, then started to laugh.

"Y-you do know this gun only has two bullets?" he wheezed.

Edgeworth's eyes were hard as he adjusted his aim. He fired right at Qadir's arm, praying that he got lucky. The man let go of Ben to cover the new bullet hole near his shoulder, letting out a tortured scream of pain. "H-how?! It only had two bullets!"

"Now it only has one," Edgeworth replied coldly, pulling his son back into the protection of the group.

Qadir began to feel his consciousness slipping away. He was starting to pass out. This hadn't happened since he was very young, but the pain was too much – his body was beginning to shut down. "D-damn you, Miles Edgeworth." His vision started to swim. "Quinn," he murmured. "I'm sorry… I couldn't save you." And then he was gone.

Kay scampered along the hallways to the meeting point they'd agreed on, occasionally checking behind her. It seemed like she'd lost Quinn somehow in her twists and turns, but she wasn't complaining. Escaping was her main priority. "Time to bust out of here," she muttered, skidding around the final turn.

Finally, she reached the end of the hallway to find the rest of the group huddled around Qadir Alba's motionless body. "He's just passed out," Lang announced. Gumshoe quickly cuffed him, then they huddled around the edge again.

"We're going to have to jump," Lang said firmly. Ivey shrank back, burying her face in her father's jacket.

"It's alright," Edgeworth said quietly, leaning down to her. "I'll be waiting there to catch you." Ben stepped forward and took his sister's hand, gently detaching her from Edgeworth's jacket. He gave his father a resolute nod, his eyes determined.

Edgeworth made his way to the hole in the building, cautiously looking down, trying to determine the best course of action. While he'd been reassuring his family, Franziska, Agent Lang, and Detective Gumshoe had made their way to the ground. Franziska sprinted toward the car to alert the others, while Lang alertly stood watch, looking for potential danger.

"Mr. Edgeworth, you have to jump!" Gumshoe yelled as Kay began to scramble down the side of the building, using footholds just small enough for her.

Edgeworth hesitated for barely a second, then threw himself into the cold night air. He barely registered the fact that this was the first breath of free air that he'd felt in a long time. Before he knew it, he was crashing into the solid form of the detective, who carefully set him on his feet and brushed him off. Edgeworth impatiently swatted his hands away, turning to look at the building. Madeline and his children were huddled together, their eyes wide.

"Ben! Ivey! You have to jump now! We can't waste any more time!" he called up to them. "I promise I'm going to catch you!"

Up in the building, Madeline knelt down to look her children in the eyes. "Your father will be there when you jump, but you have to do it on your own," she told them. "I promise, you'll be fine." She gently led her son a little closer to the edge, whispering in his ear. "If you do it, Ivey will do it, too. I'll be down right after you, I promise."

Ben didn't say a word. He let go of his mother's hand, took one long, shaking breath, and jumped. He didn't even have time to scream before he landed in his father's arms. "Th-thanks," he said quietly as Edgeworth set him down. Edgeworth ruffled his hair quickly before directing him to go to Lang and turning to where his wife was desperately trying to comfort their struggling daughter.

"Ivey, Ivey, it's alright! Look, there's Daddy, he's waiting for you! We're taking you home, Ivey!" Madeline murmured, rocking her daughter while looking nervously around. The halls were too dark, too silent. Something was going to happen. "I know you've been through so much, and you're my brave little girl. This should be no problem for you. You can do this, Ivey."

The young girl dried her tears, then stood and made her way to the edge of the hall, clinging onto the tarp for dear life. She poked her head out. She wasn't afraid of the actual jump, she realized. It was everything before it that had spooked her, and everything that could come after. But then she saw her father waiting at the bottom and she let go.

Edgeworth ran forward, catching Ivey easily and setting her down, kissing the top of her head before pushing her toward her brother, who was getting into the van with Lang, Franziska, and Kay. Now all that was left was… His stomach dropped.

"Madeline!"

His wife was being held in a chokehold by Quinn Alba, a knife at her throat, unable to move or speak. Her gray eyes were wide and terrified. He had been so preoccupied with his daughter that he hadn't noticed a thing. Screams from the car indicated that Ben and Ivey had seen and were attempting to come back. "Keep them there!" Edgeworth yelled to his companions before stepping forward. "Let her go, Quinn," he demanded.

"I can't do that," she replied, her voice cutting through the still air like the knife she was holding. "You, Miles Edgeworth, took everything from me. My father, my future, and now this… my revenge. You took it all, and you honestly think that I can just let her go?!" She started laughing, her voice growing more and more hysterical every passing second. She was cracking – her eyes were wild and her cheeks flushed.

"It's me you want, Quinn," Edgeworth pleaded. "I'll walk back into the building, just let her go."

"It was never about just you," Quinn retorted, snorting derisively. "It was, and still is, about taking everything from you the way you took everything from my father, and my brother, and me!" She raised the knife. "So say goodbye to your precious wife, Miles Edgeworth."

Things happened very quickly. Edgeworth ran forward, not knowing what to do. As Quinn began to bring the knife down toward his wife's throat, Madeline jerked her head back, hitting Quinn squarely in the nose. Quinn's arm slid away from Madeline's neck as she clutched her injury, screeching in pain. Madeline stumbled forward, her strength gone. She slipped from the hole in the building and fell, landing in her husband's arms, barely conscious. Quinn, with nothing to support her, wobbled and also fell limply from the second floor. She landed with a soft thud on the ground, near the base of her headquarters, completely motionless.

Gumshoe hurried over and checked her status, and without saying anything, pulled out handcuffs and cuffed the crumpled woman, then led a silent Edgeworth carrying his shaken wife to the car, helping them in, where they were quickly checked for injuries by Phoenix and Maya. He tapped the roof, indicating that Larry should drive, then waited, hands in his pockets, for the sirens. As police lights began to shine among the dark trees, lighting up the landscape in harsh reds and blues, the van containing the captives and their rescuers sped off into the night.


	17. Epilogue 1 - Unforgivable

Quinn Alba was in shock.

How had her brilliant plan failed? She'd accounted for every loophole, every obstacle. And yet here she was, sitting in a plain room in the prison, awaiting trial. This was most decidedly not part of the plan.

A guard opened the door to her cell. "It's time for dinner," he announced, but Quinn was already standing, her handcuffed wrists in front of her. She marched out of her cell, not saying a word, her bandaged sides still stinging with pain, a constant reminder of her failure.

As she continued down the hallway, another prisoner was being released from his cell ahead of her to get his meal. He looked back at her, his eyes barely showing any sign of recognition. Quinn's blue eyes lowered to the ground. A bow of respect was involuntary.

"F-Father," she whispered brokenly. The first word that she'd spoken since she arrived in the prison several days ago.

Quercus Alba turned to face his former student, looking her up and down, no emotion registering on his face. There was only one reason for her to be in this place, and inwardly, he was incredibly disappointed. His one hope at retribution had failed him.

"You are no daughter of mine," he hissed in reply. His cape swirled around him as he proceeded down the hallway, leaving a shocked and distraught young woman in his wake.


	18. Epilogue 2 - Changed for the Better

"No, Daddy, you can't open your eyes yet!"

Edgeworth closed his eyes again at his daughter's request, smiling. He was holding Madeline's hand and being led forward by Ivey, while his wife was being led by Ben. They formed one chain, a unified front. It had been about two weeks since the escape from the warehouse and Edgeworth was relieved to see that his family was healing well. The only physical marks of the incident were the red line around Madeline's neck from Quinn Alba's arm and his quickly healing bruises from his beating at the hands of Qadir. He knew that Ben and Ivey were still suffering from emotional trauma, but they seemed to be recovering quickly, as evidenced by this little 'surprise' that the two had managed to pull together.

"I see you, Mother," Ben said wearily, as if he was the adult and his mother was the child. Madeline was notorious for hating surprises – she had obviously tried to peek. Her hand squeezed his.

"Are we almost there?" she asked hopefully.

"Allll-most," Ivey replied happily. She had recovered her spunk in the two weeks they'd been back at home and she was now as hyper and excited as ever. "Just a bit little further… Do you think here is good, Ben?"

"Here is fine, Ivey."

"Okay, are you ready for your surprise?"

"Yes!" Miles and Madeline Edgeworth answered at the same time, their slight exasperation only evident to each other.

"Three, two, one, open!"

The couple's eyes opened to see that their children had led them to their usual hill, where a picnic was waiting for them. Also atop the hill was…

"Is that… Prosecutor Gavin's electric piano?" Madeline asked in confusion.

"All in good time, Mother, all in good time," Ben told her, smiling.

"You sound like your father," Madeline replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm not sure if I like that."

"Mommy, don't say that, not at your anniversary party!" Ivey squeaked, still holding her father's hand.

"Oh, is that what this is?" Edgeworth asked, smiling.

"Is that alright?" Ben asked, turning to his father in concern, his eyes wide. "We weren't sure if you'd want anything, given the circumstances, but we just thought-"

Edgeworth cut his son off, ruffling his hair. "It's perfect, Ben. Thank you." He cleared his throat loudly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lovely lady to walk up the hill."

Madeline rolled her eyes, but took her husband's arm, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Let's hurry it up, dear, I'm hungry," she replied teasingly.

The family ate dinner at the top of the hill, talking and laughing like any normal family. It was as if the troubles of the past were washed away by the late summer sun. Miles and Madeline were trying to tell more embarrassing stories about each other.

"She spent hours making that for me. That was the first time I realized that there was more to her than met the eye."

Madeline ducked her head. "That was easily the worst workday ever. I could barely hold my pen, my fingers hurt so badly." She sighed, leaning into her husband. "Alright, I can't hold it in any longer, you two. What on earth is the piano for?"

"We had Uncle Gummy bring it up for me," Ivey said excitedly, jumping up and sitting behind it. She possessed the musical talent of her namesake and often took lessons from Klavier Gavin, who had dubbed her a prodigy. "I wanted to play my new song for you, like I promised."

She started to play, a lilting melody filling the air, combining effortlessly with the evening birdsong, a beautiful symphony. "Seems perfect for dancing," Edgeworth commented, turning toward Madeline.

"An excellent idea, Miles," Madeline said, the sparkle in her eye returning. "Come on, Ben, no time like the present."

Her son stood, and grinning, extended his hand to his mother. The two began an exaggerated waltz, leaving Edgeworth sitting awkwardly by himself. Ivey was laughing so hard she missed a few notes.

Finally, Edgeworth couldn't take it anymore. "May I cut in?" Ben stepped away, going to sit next to his sister at the piano, as Miles and Madeline Edgeworth resumed the dance.

"Are you alright?" she asked him gently, noting his reflective mood.

"I'm just glad we're all fine," he replied quietly. She smiled, looking over at Ben and Ivey.

"Me too," she agreed. She sighed softly. "Ten years… Can you believe it? How have you survived married to me?"

"I seem to recall having this conversation before." She shrugged in response, grinning. "Well, I could ask you the same question."

His wife laughed. "Maybe. But either way, here's to another ten." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "I love you, Miles Edgeworth."

"I love you, too," he murmured back. There was a moment of silence, both of them enjoying the peace of their surroundings, before Madeline looked up.

"The sun's setting," she noted, as she led him back over to the blanket. "Another day gone. But another day with all of us back together. So it's okay."

Edgeworth put his arm around his wife as they sat, watching the sky turn orange and red. Ben and Ivey sat beside them, pointing out stars as they began to appear in the darkening sky.

"I was thinking about something," Madeline said suddenly.

"What's that?"

"Well, Quinn and Qadir Alba, they did all of this because they were trying to make someone proud. They became the Second Generation because they wanted to please Quercus Alba." His wife sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. "It's kind of scary, isn't it? How pride and ideals can get forced into that? They were trying to do what they thought was right."

"Where are you going with this?" Edgeworth asked curiously.

"I mean, don't take this the wrong way, Miles, but… it's kind of like how you used to be. You'd do anything to please Manfred von Karma, and your methods weren't always…. orthodox." She was quiet for a minute. "Just something that occurred to me over the past few days."

Edgeworth took a moment to process this. It was true, to some extent. He would have gone to great lengths to impress his former mentor, and some of his methods were rather unscrupulous. Of course, it was a completely different world, a prosecutor and a criminal mastermind.

"I suppose it's a good thing that I've changed, then," he replied and Madeline smiled.

"New beginnings… I guess our family will have one, too," she murmured softly.

Edgeworth kissed the top of his wife's head, glancing over at Ben and Ivey, content for the moment. "Let's see what the next ten years will bring."


End file.
